Sunday, January 18, 2009

When God Speaks...

When God Speaks…

The word of God is an awesome, indescribable power. When God speaks, things happen.
Close your eyes for just a moment and imagine nothing. There is nothing in existence, and total darkness abounds. There is no earth, no air, no water, no sky, just nothing. Suddenly, a voice is heard saying, “Let there be light.” Within an instant, light surrounds you, with warmth and peace. The darkness is driven away. Soon, there is an earth below you and a sky above you. The waters are gathered together and you can hear the waves of the ocean as they lap against the sands of the shore. On the land, the scent of spring flowers wafts through the air as trees and grass burst through the earth’s surface. The sun burns brightly above you and a dim, soothing light radiates from the moon and stars. At last, you see movement all around as living creatures begin to live and move in the sea, and the sky, and on the land. People are working the land and living together in complete joy, as they fellowship with their Creator. Everything you see is the result of one thing: the word of God. “By faith we know that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (Heb. 11:3, NIV)
At the end of creation, God did not stop sending forth His word. His power did not end there, and he did not rest forever. Paul writes to the Hebrews, “For the word of God is alive and active. It is sharper than any doubled-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) God’s word is still working today with authority over anything that might come against us. He sends forth His word to accomplish and achieve His purpose and it will not come back empty! (Isa. 55:11)
God’s word guides us to redemption. Simply hearing the word of God through a friend or a pastor, or reading His word can change our lives forever. We are saved from sin and death if we believe in Jesus, Who has been revealed through His word. Once we have been redeemed by the truth of His word, we are sanctified, or made clean, by the truth, and His word is truth. (John 17:17) The word which saves us makes us whole. God heals our bodies with His word and rescues us from the grave. (Psalms 107:20) As God’s word rushes forth throughout the world, people’s lives are changed. We become born again with a renewed view of the world around us and a hope for the future. We are no longer in bondage to sin (drugs, alcohol, depression, etc.) but we are free to serve God with a new heart. (Eph. 5:26, Js 1:18, 1 Pet. 1:23-25)
After we have become His children, God continues to work in us. Through His word, we are physically and spiritually nourished. David writes that by His word, God controls the weather so that His people will prosper and live with divine provision. (Psalms 107:18) And Jesus rebukes the devil’s temptations by saying, “It is written, man does live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Mt. 4:4) As we meditate on the word of God, it enters our minds and hearts, so that we are made whole. He will fill that empty space in your heart with His word, making you complete.
God’s word will guide us as we travel in life so that we come closer to Him and stay in His righteousness. We can make choices confidently by comparing each option to the word of God. If we do what His word says, it will lead us in the right direction. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105) David also writes that by hiding His word in our hearts, we are guarding ourselves against sin. (Psalms 119:11)
The word of God is a powerful force that is alive and active as it goes out to accomplish His divine purpose. It is by His word that we are protected from sin, led in the path of righteousness, nourished, sanctified, consecrated, healed, cleansed, and reborn. He sends forth His word with such tremendous power that we cannot even fathom the force that controls the universe and changes our lives. Consider this: God has given us the same power to use in battle.
Studying His word and applying the principles to our lives guarantees that we will not return to the bondage of our former lives. God gives us all of the tools that we need to be victorious in His word. Ephesians chapter 5 gives us a list of the weapons that we need to fight the temptations that will come against us. The last tool listed is the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” The word of God is a sword.
Imagine, the battle is raging hotter with fiery darts of the enemy flying past on every side. Temptations pound in your temples as you cast down thoughts that do not align with the word of God. But you can feel yourself growing weak. The battle has raged for days. He has tempted you with so many things. He has continued to annoy and irritate you with tactics that leave you breathless. Suddenly, you remember your weapon and your hand wraps around the leather and you slide your sword from its sheath. As you raise it high, the bright steel gleams in the eyes of the enemy and he begins to tremble. He knows the power of the word. He drops all of his weapons and turns to run, hearing the word of God spoken behind him.
No matter what temptation comes against you, depression, anxiety, worry, or the temptation to return to the sin from which you have been set free, God has a word that will guide you on His path and lead you to righteousness, victory, and eternal life! Simply speaking His word and believing His word in battle or in prayer will release power. “The word that goes out will not return empty. It will accomplish and achieve its purpose.” (Isa. 55:11)
For example:
• Rom. 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
• Rom. 8:39 neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Phil. 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
• 2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mine.
• Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
• Heb. 2:18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
I encourage you to find more scriptures that pertain to your specific situation. Pray them, speak them, use them. Study His word and hide it in your heart. For God’s word is powerful, a mighty command that accomplishes anything in His will!