From God comes…
From God comes the Word.
Jesus tells us that if we abide in His Word, we are truly His disciples. (John 8:31) This has a two-fold meaning because not only are we to abide in God’s Word, we are to abide in Jesus and let Jesus abide in us.
God’s Word is vital to our Christian journey. It reminds us of who Christ is, what He has done for us, what He continues to do for us, who we are in Christ, and how we should live our lives. We are encouraged to study God’s Word. (2 Timothy 2:15) It is the only way we can really learn about the mind of God.
Scriptures were given by inspiration from God to help us understand doctrine, correct us, instruct us, train us, and equip us for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The Thessalonians were commended for searching the Scriptures daily. (Acts 17:11) This was no small feat since in biblical times the average person did not have access to a Bible. Only religious leaders had a copy of the Bible and probably not in total. That’s why public reading of Scripture was important. Paul refers to this in 1 Timothy 4:13 when he says, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine.”
What a privilege it is to have access to God, His thoughts, and Jesus’s example at our fingertips. The Word of God is living and powerful. (Hebrews 4:12) The more we read the Bible, the more we have God’s words etched in our mind and living in our hearts. (Colossians 3:16) When God’s Word is hidden in our hearts, God’s ways become our ways. They help us when we are tempted to do the wrong thing. (Psalm 119:11) God’s Word should not be just something we believe, but something that shapes our thoughts.
At a young age, Jesus could converse openly about scriptures with the teachers in the temple. (Luke 2:41-51) When Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus recited passages from Deuteronomy. (Matthew 4:1-11) At the Last Supper, Jesus cited Zechariah. (Matthew 26:31) When Jesus was carrying His cross, He thought of words from Hosea. (Matthew 9:13) When Jesus was dying, He quoted Psalms. (Luke 23:46)
Is it any wonder that Jesus was filled with God’s Word because Jesus is the Word! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1-4, 14). Jesus is indeed the Living Word of God—and if we let Him, He will dwell in us. (Ephesians 3:17, Colossians 1:27)
As we yield to God we realize that He alone should have the first and last word about everything in our lives. After all, from God comes the Word!
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“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”
~James 1:17 (NLT)
