The Word of God

 

“I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.”

Psalm 119:162

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (Psalm 19:8-10)

The Word of God is one of the greatest blessings ever given to mankind. Its value is beyond measure. Let’s examine why:

1)     God’s Word Is Powerful

a)     God gives us power physically through nutrition, rest, exercise. But if we are seeking strength for guidance, wisdom, and purpose in our lives, we must turn to the Word of God. It was inspired by God to reveal His divine purposes.

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for ^[a]instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,  ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21) 

b)     The Bible is also alive.

¹² For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

One gains power insight by letting the Word dwell within them. This is what you need to withstand the assaults of Satan. The Sword of the Spirit.

2)     Write God’s Word on Your Heart

a)     A note about Donald Jackson:

Donald Jackson is a skilled artist and calligrapher. He’s the official scribe to the Crown Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From his hand comes all of the official state documents for Queen Elizabeth II. But his greatest accomplishment is for another Sovereign—it’s the creation of a hand-written illuminated Bible.

Jackson dreamed of this project in childhood. As an adult, he sketched out a concept of what this Bible might look like, then he traveled to Saint john’s Abbey in Minnesota to ask the monks there to collaborate with him. On March 8, 2000, Jackson penned the first words on a page of vellum: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God “ (John 1:1). Writing with quills made of feathers dipped in 130-year-old Chinese ink, Jackson and his team took a year to complete the Gospels and the book of Acts. In the following decade, they copied the rest of the nearly 775,000 words in the Bible. Finally, in December of 2011, Jackson wrote the word “Amen” on the final page of Revelation.

            Today, the St John’s Bible is on display at the Alcuin Library on the campus of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. It’s bound in seven volumes and weighs more than 165 pounds.

b)     This practice of writing out God’s Word is one I encourage everybody to do.

¹⁸ “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. ¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, ²⁰ that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may ^[b]prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

The King was to copy Scripture so he could have his own hand-written version. All Israelites sere to do this to some extent: On doorposts and gates –

⁹ You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

(Deuteronomy 6:9)

On stones for public viewing –

² And it shall be, on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, that you shall set up for yourselves large stones, and whitewash them with lime. ³ You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have crossed over, that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you. (Deuteronomy 27:2-3)

Copying God’s Word helps you focus carefully on the words that God inspired as well as to remember what the Bible says. Pen to Mind to Heart.

c)     Carry the Word with you.

Deuteronomy 17:19 –

¹⁹ And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes.

Proverbs 4:20-21 –

²⁰ My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.

Everywhere he went, those scriptures were with him for guidance and strength.

3)     Speak the Word

a)     Few people would disagree that our society has become filled with name-calling, ugliness, and plain rudeness. God’s word is the only remedy to this hate-filled world.

²⁹ Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. (Ephesians 4:29)

Also, the New Living Translation says, “Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”

⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:6)

b)     The more we study the Bible, the more we will speak Biblically.

²³ The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips. (Proverbs 16:23)

The wise will dispense the knowledge of God’s Word.

¹A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)

c)     Write God’s Word on your heart. Meet with Him over an open Bible, study, and memorize. This will affect your speech.

d)     Also, be ready to speak God’s Word to believers and nonbelievers.
¹⁶ Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who ^[a]meditate on His name. (Malachi 3:16)

¹⁵ But sanctify ^[the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

(1 Peter 3:15)

For us to receive the power and strength found in God’s Word, we must possess the right heart, the right kind of soil. We must do as James 1:21 instructs:

            ¹⁵ But sanctify^]the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

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