God said...(Part 2)

In my last post, I talked about the first two characteristics of God's word. The bible declares that God's word is:

1. Alive
2. Powerful, and
3. Revelational

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”¹

God’s word is revelational: God’s word reveals His will, purpose and acts, but God’s word also reveals my thoughts, intents, and condition. God’s word opens my life before Him, revealing to me the truth of who I am, where I am, and what I need. God has revealed Himself through His spoken word, His written word, and His Son, Jesus Christ, The Living Word.

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,”²

“Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.'”³

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”⁴

When God speaks, His words go beyond influence and charisma, God infuses his words with His Spirit and His life so that what He says is indistinguishable from who He is. God’s word is alive and full of power! There is never an instance when what God says is differentiated from who God is.

Who you are is distinguished by what you say and do. By this I mean that we have the ability to perceive the difference between what someone says from what they do. As a child, I heard adults say, "Don't do as I do, do as I say." It was as if I was expected to ignore what my eyes were seeing. The beauty of Almighty God is that you cannot distinguish God from His word. Where does God end and His word begin? God is indistinguishable from His word.

"And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power..."⁵

God’s word extends beyond the revelation of who He is, His word reveals who I am. I can stand before a mirror and see a reflection of myself, but what I see is only a reflection, not a revelation. My reflection is viewed by my own perception of who I am. A woman looks in the mirror and sees herself as too fat. A man looks in the mirror and sees himself as too bald. A boy looks in the mirror and sees himself as too short. A girl looks in the mirror and sees herself as too plain. A reflection can never show what God’s word reveals. God’s word cuts through the reflection of what I see and exposes the true condition of my life.

It is only when I discover the revelation of who God is that I finally see who I am.

What God says, is upheld, reinforced and sustained by who God is; a revelation of real truth that I can always rely upon what God says. This got me to thinking of what God said in creation.

“And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”⁶

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”⁷

God spoke light where none had existed. Why? So that we in this world having eyes, might see the illumination, beauty and glory of Him who has always existed. It wasn’t just God saying, I allow light to now be a reality, God sent forth His word as Light in a world filled with darkness.

The bible often speaks about the fear experienced by those who are in the presence of God. The common thread in those instances is God saying, Don’t be afraid.

“He said, 'I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.'”⁸

When God says, do not be afraid, He is sending forth His word as courage to a person overcome with fear. When God says the word Peace, He sends forth His word as peace to silence conflict. Whatever God says, is representative of who God is. God is honorable, so His word must be honored; God honors and upholds His word.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”⁹

“…so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”¹⁰

God’s word has purpose, direction, and fulfillment. I think about things I’ve faced in life and how God sent His word, and as a result, my life changed. In some instances, it didn’t happen overnight, but it happened. There were times when I didn’t understand how, but it happened. God said it, and my life was changed. God takes what I lack and strengthens me by His word. It’s what Joshua needed to hear after Moses died.

“Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.”¹¹

God wasn’t just saying the words, “Be strong and courageous…” to Joshua. God spoke strength and courage into Joshua’s life so that what Joshua saw was not a reflection, but a revelation. Joshua saw the strength and courage of God saying, I swore to their fathers that I would give them possession of the land.

“For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,”¹²

This is the certainty of God’s word! In a courtroom, a person swears to tell the truth; they commit themselves to speaking the truth based on someone being greater than them. Since there is none greater than God, God binds what He says with who He is.

Whatever we face in this life, God says a word appropriate to our circumstances. Whatever it is, God has spoken to that circumstance; in order for His word to stand above and beyond my thoughts, fears, hurts, pain, afflictions, hunger, death or anything I face. God has spoken to it already; there is nothing in my life greater than God.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”¹³

No matter what you may find yourself up against, remember that God said…

Let God’s word take hold of you and strengthen you to face your fears, hurts, pain, hunger, death or whatever you may be going through. When you feel like you can’t go on, listen to God speak to you, strengthening you with the word of endurance.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”¹⁴

Father God,

Thank you that Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light on my path. Thank You that Your word is alive: in me! O Lord, create in me a clean heart that I would worship You with joy and gladness. You strengthen me by Your word. Your word reveals to me how much I need you every moment in my life; I rely on You Lord. What joy Your word gives me. Regardless of my circumstances I know You are here with me; I'm not afraid. I can trust Your word just as I trust You, Your word represents You. I ask You Lord, to speak to those crying out for Your word, for a revelation of You, of Your truth. Speak to that need, that lack, that hurt, whatever cries out from our heart to You O Lord. Your word can never fail. May Your grace shower down upon our lives. No matter what circumstance we face, we're not alone, encourage us Lord. Reveal Your word to us, in us, and Your plan and purpose for our lives. You are the God who loves us, O God, we can do nothing without You. Your grace is always sufficient, that's why I shall praise You always. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Note: This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays (hosted by Charlotte and Ginger). You'll find blogs openly professing a love for Christ, and a passion to share. I encourage you to visit. You won't be disappointed.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 4:12, NLTB
2. Hebrews 1:1-2, NASB
3. Exodus 34:27, NASB
4. John 1:1, NIV
5. Hebrews 1:3, NASB
6. Genesis 1:3, KJV
7. 1 John 1:5, NASB
8. Genesis 46:3, NASB
9. Matthew 24:35, NASB
10. Isaiah 55:11, NIV
11. Joshua 1:6, NASB
12. Hebrews 6:13, NASB
13. Romans 8:38-39, NASB
14. Philippians 4:13, NKJV

References:

1. The Ryrie Study Bible (New American Standard Version), Edited by Charles C. Ryrie, Moody Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, ISBN 0-8024-8920-6
2. The Amplified Bible, by The Lockman Foundation, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, ISBN-13: 978-0310951414
3. King James Version, The Crusade Analytical Study Edition, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., PO Box 90011, Nashville, Tennessee 37209
4. The Message Bible, by Eugene H. Peterson, NavPress Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, CO, ISBN-13: 978-1600060250
5. New King James Version, by Nelson Bibles, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., PO Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee, ISBN-13: 978-0840713704
6. The NIV Study Bible, Edited by Kenneth Barker, Donald Burdick, John Stek, Walter Wessel and Ronald Youngblood, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA
7. The New Living Translation Bible, by Tyndale Charitable Trust, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, ISBN-13: 978-0842384896

God said.... (Part 1)

What comes to mind when you hear the words, “God said”? How do the words, “God said” affect you? These two questions got me to thinking during a recent meditation. The bible says that God’s word is alive, powerful, and revelational:

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”¹

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.”²

When God speaks, it is unlike any words I could utter; there is a vast difference between what God says and what I say. God’s words are spiritual and life-giving words.

“Every word I've spoken to you is a Spirit-word, and so it is life-making.”³

God’s word contains the elemental qualities of creativity; giving and sustaining life where none existed. We recognize great works of art, music and literature, yet none of those we recognize have the inherent ability to infuse life where none existed. Science and researchers are making tremendous strides in biotech research, yet what they discover and produce is not life-making; they have simply discovered how to manipulate properties at a cellular level that already have life.

God’s word is Alive: Recognizing that God’s word is alive ought to cause me to seek more of His word in my life, causing me to think, say and do that which affirms and glorifies Him. The fact that God’s word is alive is what propels me forward. His word is alive to the extent that as I store His word in me, I am renewed, invigorated, and refreshed. The sad truth is that I often find myself bogged down by my own words that continually try to shape my view of the world I live in. I keep thinking about a post written by Joan (Reflections) called The Right Perspective ~ Choosing Thankfulness, in which she expresses that we need to look carefully at 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to see that it says, give thanks in all circumstances, not thanks for all circumstances. It has helped me tremendously to appreciate the grace of God that sustains me in every aspect of my life. Having the properties of life, God’s word sustains me with patience and endurance. I’m learning to thank God no matter what the circumstance (all things) may be. I remind myself of His word, what God said so that my spirit is renewed with the life-giving, sustaining properties of God’s word; enabling me to endure and get through my circumstances.

God’s word is powerful: Men and women make powerful decisions in government and business that affect the lives of many, yet they lack the ability to say one word that is truly creative and sustaining. Who is there that can oppose God? The bible recounts numerous instances when those with power assumed they were above God only to come face to face with the God whose power they had not imagined possible. The bible asks the question in Revelation:

“…who shall be able to stand?”⁴

God’s word is alive and powerful. Combining these two elements tells me that God has the ability to make and shape who, what, when, where, why, and how He speaks His word. Touring a nuclear power facility gives one an idea of the awesome power of nuclear energy and yet nuclear energy pales in comparison to the power of God’s word.

Who but God can speak a word that changes my life?

I remember a commercial in which a group of investors were discussing the volatility of the stock market. One investor asks a question of a representative of this prestigious investment company and as the man begins to answer, the entire room of investors turns silent and attentive to what is about to be spoken. The slogan of the commercial was:

When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.

Questions to answer:

1. Am I attentive to what God says?
2. Do I thirst for more of His word?
3. Do I see His word as a lamp to my feet and a light to my path?
4. Do I believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is able to resurrect my life?

People with influence have an audience but there are times when even influential people are at a loss for words, or are unable to change the overall attitudes of others. Throughout history, there have been notable people with charisma, but even charismatic people lose the power of their charisma. You can be a person of influence, charisma or some other quality that enables you to affect others, but you can always be identified by some other trait. A person of influence can also be insensitive. A charismatic person can also be a liar. Who you are is distinguished by what you do.

The power of God’s word finds no obstacle too hard, no mountain too high, no valley too low, and no river too deep that cannot be overcome by what God says. God’s word represents Him by representing His power. We have seen the destructive power of explosives and machinery that can demolish a building, but that power has no ability to oppose the power God. God’s word has no peer; nothing can stand up to the awesome power of God. What God says cannot be revoked or invalidated by anyone.

I will continue this discussion in my next post.

Father God,

Thank you for the joy You give, and what You have said regarding Your word. I want to rely on Your word because You renew, refresh and invigorate my life. I want to count it all joy, no matter what circumstances I find myself in; I know You are with me in all things. I can trust You because Your word is representative of You. Your word is truth, lacking nothing. Your word never fails. I pray not for myself, but for family and friends, I pray for those reading these words as well. Speak to them as only the Sovereign God speaks. Shower your grace upon their lives. No matter what circumstance they may find themselves in, without a job, without a home, without family, without food, or whatever those circumstances are, speak the words that will illuminate their life, directing them what to do. You are the God who cares, loves and guides our steps. We can do nothing without You Lord. I pray Your favor upon them Lord, Your grace is sufficient. I want to always praise You, for who You are. Thank You Lord. Amen.

Note: This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays (hosted by Charlotte and Ginger). You will find that the blogs linked there are filled with a love for Christ, and a passion to share. I encourage you to visit. You won't be disappointed.

Footnotes:

1. Hebrews 4:12, NLTB
2. Hebrews 4:12, The Amplified Bible
3. John 6:63, The Message Bible
4. Revelation 6:17, KJV

References:

1. The Ryrie Study Bible (New American Standard Version), Edited by Charles C. Ryrie, Moody Publishers, Chicago, Illinois, ISBN 0-8024-8920-6
2. The Amplified Bible, by The Lockman Foundation, Zondervan Bible Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, ISBN-13: 978-0310951414
3. King James Version, The Crusade Analytical Study Edition, Crusade Bible Publishers, Inc., PO Box 90011, Nashville, Tennessee 37209
4. The Message Bible, by Eugene H. Peterson, NavPress Publishing Group, Colorado Springs, CO, ISBN-13: 978-1600060250
5. New King James Version, by Nelson Bibles, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc., PO Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee, ISBN-13: 978-0840713704
6. The NIV Study Bible, Edited by Kenneth Barker, Donald Burdick, John Stek, Walter Wessel and Ronald Youngblood, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, USA
7. The New Living Translation Bible, by Tyndale Charitable Trust, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, ISBN-13: 978-0842384896