Grace For The Journey

Did you know that every book ever written is a dead book except one? That’s right. Every book is a dead book because the author is dead – or will die – except one. That book is the Bible.

The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is living and powerful. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Have you ever read a Scripture verse for the umpteenth time and suddenly gained a whole new insight or understood something you never understood about it before? This is a common experience for every student of sacred Scripture. Why? Because Scripture is “living,” just like its Author!  The Bible is so much more than ink on a page; it is divine inspiration imparted to everyone who reads it and has been given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive.

To say that the Word of God is “powerful” is to say it has the capacity to change and transform. Whether you are reading it or listening to it, the Word of God is active and always at work accomplishing God’s purposes. The sovereign Lord declares in Isaiah 55:10-11, “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 from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

The Word is also “piercing,” getting under our skin to address the deepest issues of the heart. God’s Word has the power to enter the deepest recesses of a person’s being and do its divine work. So penetrating is the Word of God that it passes the level of information, diving deeper to the level of transformation. Those exposed to the Word of God are never left in the same condition, because the One who wrote is at work through it. Jesus Christ, God’s Word clothed in human flesh, provides powerful testimony to the power of the Word.  He declared in John 6:63, “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life,” and in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”

So . . . how much time do you spend reading the Word of God? And how much time do you spend reading dead books, articles, and papers? What we all need to remember is . . .

THE BOOK WE DON’T READ WON’T HELP!

God has given us His Word in written form so we would read it. He could have left it up to the Holy Spirit to inspire and motivate us to live the life God was calling us to live, but He didn’t! He gave us His book to read it, meditate on it, and live by it.

President Ronald Reagan said, “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” President Reagan knew by way of personal experience that every other book he had ever read was dead except one: the Bible.

What challenges are you facing today? What problems are pressing you up against the proverbial wall? What storm winds are blowing your way? Sadly, for far too many, the last place they’ll look for help is in the pages of sacred Scripture, and that is the only place they can find true help.

The great 19^th century prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, had this to say about how we should engage with Scripture. I hope you’ll love this quote as much as I do!

“A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t.”

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”