A Word That Never Dies

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“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” John 17:17.

Repeatedly the Scriptures tell us how important being immersed in the Word of God really is in a journey of faith that is taken seriously. Part of Jesus’ last prayer for His followers emphasized that importance as He asked His father to make them holy through their interaction with God’s Word.

PSALM 119 is well-known for its emphasis on the importance of the Word of God:

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).

“The unfolding of your word gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

The author to the Hebrews says this:

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

As individual believers we need to be diligent about exposing ourselves daily to the Word of God—not what someone says about it, but to the actual Word itself. Some people consider the Bible hard to understand. Like the discipline of any exercise program, the beginning is always a little painful, but things get easier with time and practice. For those who find getting into the Bible difficult, try a small piece at a time. A single dose, the “one-a-day vitamin” of the Scriptures is the Book of Proverbs, beginning at Chapter 10. One verse every day, thought about, prayed over, and applied to life will do what Jesus intended in His prayer—make His followers just a little bit holier than they were the day before,

As a body of believers we need to hear the Word of God taught and preached. Human philosophy lightly brushed with a verse or two won’t cut it when it comes to making us like Jesus. We need to dig deeply into the Scriptures.

There is a wonderful promise of blessing when God’s Word is given the place in our lives and in our churches that it deserves. The prophet Isaiah writes: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out of my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10,11).

That purpose of God that the prophet mentions is suggested in verse 10 and declared in John 17. His Word will cause us to become like Him, to flourish in righteousness, to be holy before Him.

His Word is alive—as alive as it was when He spoke it to His disciples. Its entrance into our hearts and minds brings us new and abundant life as well.