The Word of God is not just words on
a page, but comes with His power attached. That does not mean we can quote it
as some magic formula, without considering its real meaning. But it does mean
we can turn to it for appropriate help. It has an essential place in many
aspects of the Christian life. It is involved in salvation (Romans 10:17; 1
Peter 1:23-25; James 1:18). It can reveal to us the things we need to change in
our lives (James 1:22-24; Hebrews 4:12,13; Jeremiah 23:29). It can enable us to
change and be the people we should be (2 Timothy 3:16,17; John 17:17; Psalms
119:9). It can assist us in resisting temptation (Matthew 4:1-11; Psalms
119:11; 19:11-14). And finally, we can come to rejoice and delight in God’s
Word (Psalms 19:7-10; 119:103; 40:8).
Now the power is not some magic in
the words themselves, but in the Holy Spirit working through the words (2
Corinthians 3:1-6; 1 Corinthians 2:12-16; John 6:63). And the fundamental heart
of God’s truth is the gospel which saves us (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians
15:1-11; Galatians 1:8,9). It is this gospel that unleashes God’s power into
our lives through His Spirit, through the Word, to transform us (2 Corinthians
3:18; Colossians 1:29; Ephesians 2:10). How, then, can we appropriate for
ourselves this Word?
First,we need to know it (Colossians
3:16; Hebrews 5:11-14; Acts 17:11) and meditate on it (Psalms 1:2; 119:15;
Joshua 1:8). Now meditation does not mean sitting in a lotus position and
emptying your mind of all thought. Rather it means thinking about and trying to
understand God’s word. This can involve reading, studying, and memorizing God’s
Word. Now this should result in, not just knowing God’s word, but doing it
(James 1:25; 4:17; Matthew 5:19). While the Word has power to change us, we
have to let it do its work in us. It is as we let God’s Word work in us that we
can make His promises and commands more clearly a part of our daily lives. This
is not some magic talisman. It involves carefully understanding what the
Scripture means in context. But it is in the process of this study that we come
to understand who God is and what He has done and what He requires of us. Now
we each have to do this in our own way, using the methods and approaches that
work for us. I do not want to force people into a legalistic straitjacket, but
I do want to encourage us to make God’s Word, and knowing, understanding, and
doing it, a priority in our lives. Because it is only as we discipline
ourselves to do this that the Word becomes part of our lives that its power might
change us.
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