The Word

Deuteronomy 5:33 – “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.”

Philippians 4:9 – “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

These verses have two things in common: a promise and a condition or said another way, a commandment. Yes, God’s promises are His word; they are His truth and have already been fulfilled in Him and by Him. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “I know that everything God does will endure forever.” His promises are forever. Eternal, in both directions – all the way back and all the way forward.

But, with many of God’s promises comes conditions. A condition of commitment; a condition of obedience; and, a condition of trust. In order for God’s promises to be fulfilled in our lives, we must unconditionally trust in Jesus and obey Him.

The two go hand-and-hand. When we trust someone, we easily obey them. Remember your parents saying “don’t talk to strangers,” or “don’t touch the stove”, or “look both ways when you cross the road,” the list goes on. We obeyed our parents because we trusted that they loved us and knew what was best for us. We have an everyday relationship with them; they are our parents, and we know them. It is the same with Jesus – the closer our relationship, the greater our trust and understanding becomes of who He really is. Sure, we hear bible stories, we hear our Pastor and others speaking of their own knowledge, but that is all second-hand. A personal relationship requires more than just hearsay; it requires genuine effort and time, vulnerability, and a desire to know the truth about that person.

Fortunately for us, Jesus gives us His Word – a detailed transcript of His love for you and I. It is the foundation of trust. It quickens our spirit and teaches us who He is. John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

In the book of Matthew, Jesus said “man shall not live by bread alone, but from every word that comes from the mouth of God.” His Word is our spiritual food, a lifeline to our eternal salvation and a spiritual necessity. We cannot grow in the Lord or truly trust in Him without it. We are designed by our Creator to be spiritually sustained through scripture, and not just through purely reading the Word, but through daily and continual consumption. Numbers 4:7 “And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:” The bread of life is continual, and “he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” John 6:58.

The Word brings life because the Word is Jesus. John 1:14 says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” 1 John 5:7 reads: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. These three are One; the Father is Jesus, the Holy Ghost is Jesus and The Word is Jesus.

The Word is alive, and it breaths, and it is Eternal. And when we consume it, when we eat the word of God, it roots inside of us. It becomes alive and truth is activated in our lives. It is through Jesus, through consumption of the Word that we can obtain every promise gifted by our Savior. Psalm 36:9 “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”

Lord, I thank you for your promises and for your Word that lives inside of me. Help me to be disciplined in my prayer life, help me to consume the scriptures. Jesus, fill my belly with your Word. Glory be to Your Name. Amen.