What is the Word of God?

What is The Word of God?

“The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone,

But by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Matthew 4:4

We are living in a time when it is so very important for people to understand what the “Word of God” really means.  Everyone knows what the Bible is; it’s a book about Christians and what we should do and what we shouldn’t do.  For many that is the sole purpose of the Bible.  Some may read it and some may not. Let’s go beyond skimming the surface of it.

If we only pick a few verses out of the Bible, your understanding could be like this: “Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."” (Matt. 27:5 and Luke 10:37)  We certainly don’t want to make a teaching out of that.  It doesn’t make any sense and certainly doesn’t show the love of God.

 

The Bible tells us that we should meditate on the Word of God, so we can have understanding of what he is showing us.  In Joshua 1:8 it says, “Study this Book of Instruction (Bible) continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”  This is so simple and yet people ignore it. You need to read the Bible faithfully every day and then think about it.  That way you will understand what God wants you to know and live like it says.  If you live like God tells us to, you will succeed in all you do.  What is so hard about this?

However, there are many, not a few, but many who are teaching otherwise.  Quoting Pastor Rob Bell, “Ignoring the Bible will help the church stay up to date in the current times.”  He goes on to say that 2000 year old scriptures can’t help anyone and does not fit in our culture.  It reminds me of a verse in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.” People like Bell are preaching a different Gospel and are not true Christians or they would not denounce the Word of God. 

The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  The Word of God is God!  If you start at the beginning with Genesis, when God created everything it began with “God said”! Over and over again it is “God said”.  If God is who he said he is and he said he is the same now and forever, who can argue with that?  The Word of God has such power.

The Word of God is alive; it speaks to your heart and minds. There are times when you are looking for an answer, so you read the Bible and God will give you the very scriptures that answer your questions.  Even though I have read the same verse many times, this time those words pierce your heart and soul.  There may be times that God warns you about something in your future.

There is such a thing as discernment and it comes from God.  You may meet someone and right away you know that something is not right.  You may feel a darkness about them; it may even be a supposedly godly person, but if you have the Holy Spirit you will understand. How do you know about such a thing as discernment? God told you in his Word he was sending the Holy Spirit to teach you.

By discernment you will see people for who they are and not through what they are pretending they are. Read this in the book of Matthew 7:20, “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. When I became a real born-again believer God changed my life and gave me a whole new attitude. I wanted to listen to what God told me and do what he said to do in the Word. I am a serious believer and I love the Word of God.  The words of the Bible speak to my heart.  The Word came to me before I ever understood it.

As a child I sang all the time; in fact I was singing on stage by the time I was five years old.  However, my real desire was to play the piano and when I was twelve years old my parents bought me an old upright piano.  I finally began lessons and as soon as I learned notes, I tried to play something. We had an old Hymnal and I turned to page 333 (I still have it) and tried to plunk out the keys.  Its title was “Wonderful Words of Life”. I sang along with it and the words went like this:

Sing them over again to me, Wonderful Words of Life;

Let me more of their beauty see, Wonderful Words.

Words of life and beauty, Teach me faith and duty.

Beautiful words, wonderful words, Wonderful words of Life

Even then, God was showing me to love the Word of God.  I eventually learned to play that song like it should be played.  It is still so meaningful to me after all those years.  I keep that songbook on a shelf right over my desk.The Bible is more than just a quick glance; it is so deep and its words are always fresh and true.  Drink it in and you will find a deep love of its words.  They are truly “Wonderful Words of Life!

 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1