My garden is awesome this year, even though I haven’t spent much time in it. That’s at least one good thing from all the rain we had! It’s a riot of blue and pink and white hydrangea, purple hosta, and lilies (in my one sunny spot). But today I noticed the first brown leaf and shriveled blossom. As the summer heats up, they will all go away. I think of something Isaiah wrote:
“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
Photo by Sarah Christmyer
Did you ever think about what that means?
So many things pass away in life. Not just grass and flowers, but our looks. Health. Potential. Promises. Peace, jobs, and childhood friends. Our heroes. But God’s word stands forever. Awesome! But who cares? Why does it matter? What is “the word of our God” that we should want it not to change or fade away?
Our words vs. God’s Word
Oliver Wendell Holmes called a word “the skin of a living thought.” It’s a sound that has meaning, the oral (or written) expression of someone’s idea.
God’s word is so much more than that. Sure, it expresses his thought and truth. But it is living and active itself, it’s not just a “skin” on top of something else. God’s word has power. When he speaks, things happen. Chaos dissolves, things are created and put in good order. Darkness is flooded with light. Storms quiet, the sick are healed, demons flee, death is overcome by life. All at a word from God. All at the word of God. And that Word is more than a sound or collection of letters. God’s word became flesh. While a sound floats on the air and dies away, God’s word is a tangible, physical person — Jesus — who is with us forever. Because he IS the Word, we can meet him in the pages of Scripture and hear him speak to us through that “still, small voice” of the Holy Spirit. And because his word is living and powerful, when it is inside us, it can make us more like him.
12 Reasons I’m glad God’s word doesn’t fail
I did a little word study to see what Scripture says about the word of God. Here are some of the things I discovered. Look up the verses in your Bible to learn more:
God’s word is a “light” that gives us:
- Direction (Psalm 119:105)
- Understanding (Psalm 119:130)
If you hear his word and keep it in your heart:
- It will bring you life and healing (Proverbs 4:20-22)
- It will help keep you from sin (Psalm 119:11)
- It will bring joy and delight to your heart (Jeremiah 15:16)
Learning God’s word can:
- Instruct us for salvation
- Teach, reprove, correct, train us in righteousness
- Make us complete
- Equip us for good works (#6-9: 2 Timothy 3:15-17)
In addition, the word of God:
- Is a weapon against the evil in this world (Ephesians 6:17)
- Discerns your thoughts and intentions (Hebrews 4:12)
- Is as essential for life as food (Matthew 4:4)
God’s word is always there for you!
Jesus told the Jews who believed in him that if they “continue in” his word, they are true disciples and will know the truth that will set them free (John 8:31-32). The only way you can “continue in” something is if it lasts. If it’s reliable. If it’s always there for you.
God’s word is like that. It is always available, always ready to give us joy, always able to set us free, always there to help us navigate our lives and fight our battles.
Are you listening?
How can you receive God’s word in your heart today, and hang onto it so it can do its work in you?
The word of the Lord endures forever. Let us give thanks and praise!
© 2018 Sarah Christmyer
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