The Living Word

I’m sitting here thinking about God’s word and how important it is to be in it everyday—meditating on it, storing it in our hearts. Even when we can’t understand it, still allowing our hearts to be opened up to what the Lord has given us. When I look back to the different stages of life I’ve lived and the times I can remember God moving and the times I remember nothing, there is one thing that is distinct: God moved when I was in His word. Well before I ever made it to a local church or started hanging out with other Christians. At one point, I started reading “Breakfast with Jesus.” I didn’t really feel the need to go to church or to change anything about my life though. I was intrigued, I think, because it was written by a pastor in SoCal and that was where I was from (at the time, I was living in NorCal). I think I made it ¾ of the way through before I decided to get online and find some sort of Bible study. I found a “read the Bible in a year” website and started there. Not long after I had started reading and studying the scriptures, miracles started happening. From the outside, it’s always easy to come up with worldly reasons why things happen, but I knew it was God. Money appeared out of nowhere in my wallet…seriously! When we had no formula for the baby and no money, WIC showed up in the mail. That just does not happen. With it was a note from one of the ladies that simply requested I call her to set up an appointment. God had to have moved on her to do that. Then, the desire to go to church came—such a desire that I was willing to end my 4-year relationship with my bf (at the time) over it. I made it to church once, with only my two children by my side. Of course, Satan didn’t want anything keeping me close to the Lord, so all hell broke loose in my life. I then spent four years bouncing all over and trying to figure out what to do with myself. Again I got back into God’s word. And again He started moving, but this time in a much bigger way. In such a way, that my entire life has been changed and it will never be the same. Looking back though, I can see how once I engaged in the Word of God, He came alive to me personally.

I’ve come to realize it’s because it is the living word of God. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 KJV). When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to this nasty earth, suffered a horrendous death and poured out His blood on the cross for us, we allow God to move upon us. That’s just the beginning. So many think to just stop there and continue about their everyday lives. But the truth is we need to couple that belief with daily communion with the Lord through His word and prayer. Then the infilling of the Holy Spirit will be more than we could ever hope for. We will see God move in our lives, we will see prayers answered, and we will see miracles happen. Our eyes are opened to the truth of the world in which we live. Our ears are opened to hear the Almighty speak and lead us through every day, serving His purpose. Of course we’re not perfect and we mess up (sometimes over and over before we start to get it right). That’s all the more reason to be in God’s word—to feel His love pour out when we’re hurting, to gain strength when we feel like we just can’t get through another trying time, to know the voice of conviction when we need to repent, to be free from condemnation when Satan tries to rest that upon our shoulders. But, most of all, to know our Creator and Savior and to say without a doubt that He knows us and will not answer on the Day of Judgment “…I never knew you: depart from me…” (Matt 7:23 KJV).

He is so amazing and I just want to spend every moment of everyday in His presence. Unfortunately I’m not that disciplined, but I know that through Him all things are possible. That means I don’t have to look back with regret or sadness. I can look forward with hope and joy. Most importantly, I can share His love with whoever will open their hearts to receive it. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (John 3:17 KJV)