Forever O Lord, your Word is firmly fixed in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
God’s Word is true, powerful, alive and active.
Most people think that the Word of God is just a vague representation of what God really wanted to say. Some believe it has been corrupted and mistranslated by people. However, that is not what the Bible teaches about itself.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The word “given by inspiration of God was translated from the Greek word theopneustos which literally means God breathed.
God inspired men to write the Scriptures. The way you view God’s Word determines how you will relate to Him. It determines your faith hence the Bible says “So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”.
Our society today doesn’t really honor or esteem God’s Word. Unfortunately, that devaluation of the Word has crept into the church. Most people who call themselves Christians also don’t value the Word of God as they should. If one was to ask them if they believed the Bible is God’s Word, they would probably answer “Yes”. However, when it comes right down to it, they don’t understand or esteem the Word of God that much.
Everything in the Christian life is built upon the way you view God’s Word. To walk by faith not by sight, you need a sure foundation in the Word of God.
As the year begins my appeal to you as a believer is to use God’s Word as a compass that directs your foot -steps. The psalmist says “thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”. Would you settle in your heart that you will give Word of God top priority this year?
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Keep Reading
Most churches are giving reading plans for the year. My church has done the same. Do you know reading an average of four chapters a day will take you through the Bible by end of the year?
The Word of God has to be the foundation of our relationship with God. If we don’t trust the Bible, then we cannot really have any assurance in our relationship with the Lord. I believe that God’s Word is trustworthy and can be absolutely assured.
I have verified this in my own life many times by experience. My year has started in style because I have chosen to anchor all my goals for this year on the Word of God. When you sincerely believe the Word of God, you can literally walk on water like Peter did. Peter just responded to one word – “COME” from Jesus when he asked Him if he could get out of the boat and walk towards Jesus on water. If he had doubted that word from the Lord, Peter wouldn’t have walked on water.
Some people today have moved away from absolute belief in the Word of God and the result is “RELATISM”. This means what is true for you is not necessarily true for me. There are no absolutes. Therefore, it is politically incorrect in different societies these days for someone to be absolutely sure about anything. To have that attitude today, that there is absolute truth, is looked upon and considered arrogant.
But the truth is that there are absolutes. God’s Word is Him absolutely speaking to us. This is why it can give you a confidence and an assurance that is necessary for spiritual maturity. If you are going to be someone whose interpretation of what is right and wrong changes based on circumstances or what kind of situation you are in, then you are like a ship without an anchor. You are going to float and be driven about and tossed.
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded person is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6-8).
When you waver in your faith, you are double minded. You are hindered in receiving from God. You must have the Word of God as an anchor in your life. The foundation of our faith has to be the Word of God. Not only must we believe what is there, but we must also believe that God supernaturally communicated His Word to us.
God’s Word is like a seed (Mark 4:14) and you and I must take His Word and plant it in our heart - which is the soil. Your success comes not only from planting this “seed” into your heart by reading the Bible but also through taking time to ponder or meditate on what it is saying to you.
For example, I can take days just focusing on one verse of Psalms 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”. I can break this verse word by word. The word “The” itself is deep. It means that there are many shepherds but mine is “The” Shepherd. It then makes me focus all my attention to “The” Shepherd”, knowing that no one else can shepherd my life. I can then move on and just meditate on the word “Lord” - What does this mean? He is the LOARD, my MASTER, the Almighty, the All-powerful, All-knowing, Ever-present God. Spending time just meditating on this true nature and characteristics of God will help me begin to appreciate how and why I can depend on Him. The One who has all power, all knowing and ever present.
When I begin to focus on this aspect of my Lord, every challenge or problem I could be facing will begin to diminish in its magnitude.
It therefore comes as no surprise when God tells Joshua in Joshua 1:8 to spend time meditating on the Word:
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success”.
This shows how important it is to spend time in the Word of God. Your success will come from spending time in the Word, having an intimate relationship with the Father.
God’s Word is the foundation of everything in our Christian lives. It is so important that we base our faith on the Word. The highest form of faith comes from just believing God’s Word alone (Matthew 8:10) and not needing something else to quicken your faith.
There are only two times in Scripture when Jesus marveled. One was at the Centurion’s great faith and the other one is in Mark 6, when He marveled at people’s unbelief. Jesus was amazed that a man could operate in this kind of faith. It wasn’t typical. He was amazed that even His disciples could be so full of unbelief after spending so much time with Him.
It is interesting to note how Jesus marveled at the Centurion’s faith “Verily I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel” (Matthew 8:10). What made this man’s faith great? It was because his faith was in the Word alone. He didn’t need Jesus to come and do something. His Word alone was good enough.
May the Lord help us this year to treasure God’s Word so we can develop our faith. Remember without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
