GOD’S LIVING WORDS
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,” Hebrews 4:12a, ESV
Theme: Jesus is called “the Word made flesh;” the Word of God is both alive and active in our lives.
WORDS
The Bible is the Word of God. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14a, NIV). When I read “the word of God is living and active,” I didn’t make the connection that “the Word” means the Bible, and also Jesus. He is living and active! It is easier to think of a person as living and active than a book, even though it is filled with God’s words. (Although I love a good book and I see how stories can be rich in meaning, this Word is different.) God communicates to us in many ways, including the Bible, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit living in others, a song, or even a natural event made significant by Him. The Bible was the only living Word I had considered, but it isn’t the only living Word. God communicates to us in many ways and all of them are alive and active.
YOU HAVE TO READ IT
Do I have to read the Bible for it to work in my life? Yes. (Skip to the next paragraph then come back to this one if you are immediately offended.) The Bible is alive because it can teach me different things in different seasons. It is alive because God gives us revelations, and then more and deeper revelations, as we study it. It is alive because when we forget Words we have read in the past, or read passages for the first time, God shows us how to live, solve our problems, trust Him more, or find peace. If you don’t ever read the Bible, God can’t speak to you through it. However, what if you listen to the Bible? What if your sister quotes you a verse? What if you hear a section of Scripture in a song? What if God speaks anyway?
YOU DON’T HAVE TO READ IT
Do I have to read the Bible for it to work in my life? No. Some days, we don’t read the Word. I’m not judging. I miss days, too. I have missed weeks and yet the Word still speaks. Particularly for those who have read the Bible many times, an applicable verse will come to mind unbidden. You’ll especially recall them when you have committed verses to memory on purpose. Often, when you have friends who know Jesus and ooze with His Holy Spirit, the Word will speak, even if you don’t have the focus to read it. Something living and active can initiate communication.
The Word can talk to us. It can move. The Word can rise from the dead, heal the sick, and speak to and for God, as He is God Himself. Reading the Bible, praying, or listening to Bible-based preaching is like sitting down to listen. Yet, even if we don’t do any of those things, our living God can communicate to us. The Word is alive. The Word is active even today.
Make It Personal: How does the Word speak to you? If you read the Bible, have you experienced it as a living and active communicator of God’s Word? If you have never had a passage or verse from the Bible come to your mind “on its own,” try memorizing a verse or two this week. The Bible Memory app is a great Bible memorization tool that our Pastor recommends, and I find very helpful.
Pray: Dear God, thank You for the Word that lives and acts in our lives. Thank You that each time I hear You speak, You reveal Yourself in new ways. Help me to read the Word, listen to the Word, speak the Word, and follow the Word. You are a good Father who provides everything I need. Help me to be nourished by Your Word, like I am fed with healthy food. Help me to depend on Jesus, the Bible, and Your messages just for me. You are our source and supply of Truth. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read: John 1:1-5, 14, 18; Luke 5:1, Luke 11:28; Proverbs 30:5
Weekly Memory Verse:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105, ESV