Don’t Miss God’s Word to You
The Next Time You Open Your Bible Don’t Miss God’s Word to You
I would like you read Isaiah 55 (ESV) written below. Our focus will be on verses 8-11, but the whole chapter needs to be read, if not the whole prophecy of Isaiah!
55 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.12 “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
Introduction:
Our family went on a special trip together in May of 2019 to celebrate our daughters’ dual graduations from Master’s programs. We started our drive from Illinois, and we headed to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Cape Cod was our destination.
Ellen, my wife, wanted to add something special to the trip so we drove our car by way of Buffalo, New York and the Niagara Falls. Growing up in New York City (as I did), I had heard of Niagara Falls all through my childhood, but I’d never actually been to Niagara Falls. Well, we arrived, parked the car, and walked towards a great vantage point to view the Falls. It was a dreary kind of a day, but “the Falls” were beautiful.
I may be easily impressed but the following words come to mind as I think about that scene: majestic, powerful, relentless, glorious, and beautiful. I know that there are waterfalls that are bigger and higher, but I was impressed with the awesome force of the waters as they came roaring down.
Those same words come to mind when I think about the prophecy of Isaiah before us today. As a whole, the prophecy of Isaiah is massive and majestic. It is powerful and prophetic. It is relentless in its revelation of the sovereignty, the glory, the holiness, the covenant love and righteousness of the God of Israel, and indeed the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am deeply humbled and overwhelmed when I read the prophecy of Isaiah. First of all, the length of the “book” itself is a challenge, there is so much to read and digest spiritually. Also, its different and distinct sections (1-35, 36-39, 40-66) are intriguing, and add to the complexity of the Prophecy.
In this section of the prophecy (40-66), the prophet declares words of comfort, instruction and promise – revealing God’s plan to restore His people after their exile and ultimately to bring to consummation His covenantal purposes. The immediate situation of 740-700 B.C. needs to be kept in mind as well as the promise of a return to the homeland after the edict of Cyrus which happened much later. Verse one of the very first chapter speaks of the prophecy focusing on Judah and Jerusalem, but ultimately Isaiah’s vision speaks of God’s future for His people which reaches to the whole world. And it is a future that is dependent upon the life, sufferings and reign of Jesus the Messiah.
In the immediate context of the verses we are considering, the Lord’s everlasting covenant, and His future actions for His own glory are affirmed (55:1-5, 12-13). This includes an invitation to come and to hear and to receive the Lord’s words (55:1-5). It presents an invitation to seek the Lord, call upon Him, forsake evil ways and thoughts, and return to the Lord and receive compassion and pardon (Isaiah 55:6-8).
Soon after our text (verses 8-11) salvation is promised, a salvation that will not only involve the ingathering of Israel, but the welcome of foreigners and “eunuchs” to a joyful “house of prayer…. for all peoples” (55:12-56:8). In the light of this, justice and righteousness are called for on the part of Isaiah’s hearers and readers (56:1-2).
This section is powerful, and has been called the “Great Invitation.” It is worthy of a lot of study, meditation, and prayerful application. Today, I am focusing on four verses especially within this “Great Invitation.” My purpose today is for us to pause and think not only about this “Great Invitation” from God but about how God speaks to us through His Word.
In other words, this specific passage of Scripture can give us insight as we seek to hear God speaking to us through His Word. There is a sense in which God is always inviting His people. This invitation may be to return to Him in repentance and obedience. The invitation may be to hear His instruction and obey. His invitation may be to hear His promises and to believe and hope. His invitation always comes in the light of who He is and His covenantal relationship with us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But, when we hear that Word or read that Word, we need to respect it and respond to it as God’s Word to us.
God’s Word to You - Don’t Miss It
So, our main text is Isaiah 55:8-11
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
When I say, don’t miss God’s Word, what I really mean is don’t miss the impact that God’s Word should have upon us. Really read it and hear it for what it is as God’s Word to us.
1. God’s Word is His Personal Word – Don’t Miss It
In our English translation of verse 11 there are two uses of the word “my,” two uses of the word “I,” and one use of the word “me” within one verse (55:11). God owns His word. It is His Word. It is a word that comes from His mouth. It does not return to Him empty. He sends it and it accomplishes His purpose. God is saying that this prophecy through Isaiah is indeed His own words coming from His mouth.
God did not have someone write His words so that God could think about what He needed to say! The opposite is the case. God communicated His words in order that they be written down for us. In other words, God did not have a speechwriter as such. His words come to us in the form He has chosen. So, they are His personal words.
God’s people hearing or reading Isaiah’s prophecy needed to acknowledge that these words of invitation were indeed the very words of God. Likewise, I think it is very helpful for us to read the Scriptures as God’s personal word. Even though it comes to us through different authors and different types of literature, it is God’s Word. He authored it. He spoke it. He owns it. It’s His personal Word. It was written for others before it is read by us, but it still remains God’s personal words for us. When we respond to the Bible we are responding to God personal’s word to us.
I have in my office a handwritten note to my brother and myself. This is how it reads:
“Good to hear from you and as soon as my family gets up to New York (around the Ist week of June) I’ll call you and we’ll all go to a game. I’ll get all the fellows to sign a baseball for you too.
Looking forward to being with you,
Bobby Richardson"
Now many of you may not know who that person is. Bobby Richardson was the second baseman of the New York Yankees during one of their classic periods, the late 50’s and early 60’s. He also was a dear friend of the family.
What makes that short note so special is that this was a personal note. It was a personal note from a person we appreciated and looked up to, and it was special for us. Also, you may have noted that the brief letter included an invitation and a promise. We paid attention to that invitation, and everything he promised and more took place. Good memories!
God is expressing His personal covenant love and promises to His people in this text. They needed to be aware of Him and His personal love and plans for them.
It is possible to read the Scripture to find a thought for the day, some encouragement for our own agendas. It is possible to read the Scripture to get an answer to a question or a problem. It is possible to read the Scripture for self-improvement. It is possible to search the Scriptures to find support for some cause or concern.
Now, these are not bad purposes as we open our Bibles. But, the Bible does not come to us as a brief devotional, or an answer book, or a brochure on causes, or even a simple “how to” manual. It is God’s revelation of Himself through His personal words and specific actions. It is His personal invitation to have a right and meaningful relationship with us, to know the living eternal God of Creation, and to know Him personally.
Think about what we learn of Him right in these brief verses.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
I will come back to the full significance of these words a little later, but in terms of God’s personal words to us, God wants us to grasp how different He is from us. His thoughts and ways are not only different from us, they are higher than us. He is so much more righteous, and faithful, and merciful than we are, that we actually will not understand Him if we somehow reduce Him to someone less than He is.
In the light of the sinfulness of God’s people, it is hard to grasp the reality and the significance of His great invitation right here in this chapter. Let’s not get too used to our knowledge of God as if we really think we have a full understanding of God. We have only just begun to know Him. Even when we think about our Lord Jesus, we need to remember that His time of humiliation on earth was limited and is over. He revealed the Father to us, and He is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father and He is Lord of all.
Read the Book of Revelation to gain an even greater understanding of the Sovereignty and Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That understanding gained by the Apocalypse will give an even deeper appreciation of His sufferings on our behalf. (Ex. Rev. 21:22-26)
To know God is to begin to know Him as He has revealed Himself to us.
In verse 9, God states that there is a similar separation between God’s thoughts and our thoughts, His ways and our ways as there is between heaven and earth. God is higher, more holy than we are. He is above us – this we must know and rejoice in. And in the light of what is said in context (verse 7) God is more gracious and merciful than we can fathom. Although we were made in His likeness, and we desire to be more like Him daily, let’s rejoice in the awesome “higher-ness” of our God. O praise His Name that He is not limited to our thoughts and ways. He is not tainted with anything other than perfection, holiness, and glory and grace. Let’s not get too used to His mercy, His love and His gracious invitation to a meaningful relationship with Him, especially when we are aware of sin that has grieved Him.
I am not going to expound fully on the context of these verses, but I think there are a couple of practical lessons that we need to gain from these verses in terms of our necessary response to God’s Word.
a) We can be Distracted and not Value our relationship with God as we should
In God’s invitation in Isaiah 55 He directs the people to come, to listen diligently, to incline their ears, to hear (55:2-3). This call to listen is necessary because God’s people don’t always listen because they can be preoccupied with other concerns. God’s people were not thirsting or hungering after Him (55:1). Their passion was for other things. They were focused on things that would not really satisfy. We can be distracted when we are satisfied with less and spend our energies, money and time on other interests (55:2). These can distract us from hearing, and taking in what God is saying to us. “Listen diligently…., Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;……. Behold,…..Behold.” Do you sense God’s desire for His people and His awareness of their attempts to be satisfied with less than a vital relationship with Him?
Our family recently listened to part of an audiobook dealing with this very subject. The problem addressed in the book was the distracted way we live today. This was not the main issue in Isaiah’s day, but there are similarities. To come and drink and eat with God is hard to do with the cellphone on, your favorite music playing and the TV on at the same time. It is hard to eat and drink with God if we are worried about filling our days with other activities - as if the purpose of life is to do as much as possible. To use the prophet’s language, we don’t need to spend all our time making idols and then worshiping them with our time and money.
Are we really listening when we come to God’s Word? I wonder if you have ever been in a conversation when you know that the other person is not really listening, they are too distracted. You may be thinking, yes that happens every day! The problem with not listening carefully is that you only get a superficial understanding of what is being said. It is easy to miss the person, the heart, the potential for relationship building. When it comes to missing God’s Word, it is so easy to be distracted in the deepest sense of that word. Then, we really do not respond in the way God would have us respond.
b) We Can Be Distant from God and Need to Come Back to Him
God’s call to His ancient people in this context is to come back to Him. He is offering them His covenantal love, mercy, and forgiveness because of their sins and distance from Him. Watch out for a sense of distance and dullness in your relationship with God. If we are distant, God is inviting us to come back, to get closer, to enjoy the relationship that He wants to have with us. We must come on His terms as we will see, but God is the one taking the initiative right here.
So, what is the answer? What is your answer?
It begins with realizing the potential problem.
God has spoken and continues to speak through His Word by the Holy Spirit. Let’s listen to Him and for Him. Open our hearts to Him and let His Word address the deepest parts of our lives. Then ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us in His Word personally. This leads me to the second concern when we open our Bibles:
2. God’s Word is His Purposeful Word – Don’t Miss It
Just as the rain and snow come down and their coming produces specific results, so it is with God’s Word. And the imagery used presents not only an initial result, bringing forth and sprouting, but wonderful results ending with “bread to the eater.” The Word of God is purposeful and productive. What it produces will be good and beneficial.
Verses 10-11
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
“….it shall accomplish that which I purpose,”
The Context reveals the specific purpose of God’s Word right here
Verses 3-7, 12-13
These words of invitation are written to a people who have sinned against God. Isaiah ministered during the reign of four kings in Judah at the end of the eight century B.C. It is an over-simplification, but the earlier chapters of Isaiah contain a lot of challenges and judgements due to the sins of the nation and beyond. The second half of the book provides comfort, promise and an insight into God’s plan to restore His own covenant people after judgement and their exile. He writes as if the people have already experienced God’s judgment, and are now needing assurance of God’s love and continuing purpose for them. At the same time, there is the call to get right with God, and to live obediently and righteously in the light of His covenant love.
The prophet has an invitation and a challenge for his listeners and his readers here in these verses. And that brings us to the invitation in context.
1. It is an invitation to Fellowship (Verses 6-7)
The sins of the people were many. Wickedness was evident. There was sinful thinking and sinful actions. Notice that the people were invited to return but on God’s terms. There was an urgency to their return. God says to seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (55:6). No timetable is given, but it is clear that the invitation is under God’s control. He is sovereign, so take advantage of the offer when it is given.
We have beautiful pictures of God’s patient love in the Scriptures such as expressed in the account of the Father’s patient waiting in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15. But, God’s invitation is not to be taken lightly.
I recently missed an eye doctor appointment. The appointment has been moved from the original date. The morning of the appointment I was involved in getting a car fixed, not something I had put on the calendar. So, I missed the appointment. Not good! Well, trying to re-schedule was interesting. I had to re-schedule weeks later. The doctor was not available on my terms. I had to fit in with His schedule. As patient as God is, we come to Him on His schedule and on His terms. I realize that this is an inadequate illustration of an appointment with God. But, here is the point, respond when you are able to do so, if not before. That’s the idea! Today is not too early! Now is a great time!
But, to have fellowship with God, the invitation involves forsaking wickedness. It is not just a matter of bringing your ID, health insurance card, and other personal information. God knows all that anyway. No, Sins of our ways, and sins of our thoughts are to be forsaken. This is true repentance. After all, God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than our sin-tainted ways and thoughts. To draw near to Him we must forsake our low ways and thoughts. This means to honestly confess, to repent, and to renounce these in order to “return to the Lord.” Thank God for 1 John 1:7-2:2. We can confess our sins. We have an advocate on our behalf, our Lord Jesus Christ. If we honestly confess our sins, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Otherwise, we may not be able to take advantage of His invitation. His nearness should be our passion. His nearness is the start of every other blessing. His nearness is the greatest thing you need right now. Of course, closely tied with Fellowship is an invitation to Forgiveness
2. It is an Invitation to Forgiveness (verse 7)
Literally, this speaks of receiving the Lord’s compassion and to be “abundantly pardoned.” It is hard to describe exactly what that means, but don’t you like the sound of “compassion” and an “abundant pardon.” This is not a stingy pardon. God is speaking of a pardon that covers all our sins as we noted from 1 John 1:9. And it is right after stating this abundant pardon that God assures us that His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. We cannot have fellowship and be close to God if our thoughts and ways are needing to be forsaken. We come to God on His terms and as He is. But, this focus on the higher thoughts and ways of God also relates to the abundant pardon that is beyond us.
“Abundantly Pardoned”
“Abundantly Pardoned”
“Abundantly Pardoned,” say it with me, “Abundantly Pardoned.”
Of course, being on our side of the cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we see afresh the compassion of God and the cost of this abundant pardon.
Can I use the word of a hymn to point us to Christ in this regard:
“O the love that drew salvation’s plan! O the grace that bro’t it down to man;
O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary.
Mercy there was great and grace was free,
Pardon there was multiplied to me,
There my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.
What joy there is in our initial experience of knowing sins forgiven through our Lord Jesus Christ, and His death for our sins at Calvary. Pardon has been multiplied to me and you. But as we walk in the light as believers - as He is in the light… the blood of Jesus Christ still has the power to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We still need to honesty deal with sins, even as God invites His people in Isaiah 55, and our abundant pardon comes in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. Read again 1 John 1:5-2:2.
But, another aspect of the text needs to be summarized. This is the prophetic future aspect of this text. And I am encouraging us to see in God’s Word an invitation to a Future.
3. It is an invitation to a Future
This prophetic Scripture reveals future blessings for God’s people. There is going to be blessings for God’s people according to God’s promises. The end of our chapter and the beginning of chapter 56 celebrates this future time of joy, peace, praise as God restores His people for His own Name’s sake.
55:12-56:8
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
and the son of man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
Usually, a break is acknowledged between chapters 55 and 56, but I think it is helpful to view these verses together with the challenge for “justice and righteousness” between them. Future blessings are presented in 55:12-13 in terms of a rejoicing creation and the reversing of the curse on creation. Then, in the first few verses of Isaiah 56, it is made clear that this future blessing involves the ingathering of God’s people and it extends even to the nations. It is God’s intention to have a “house of prayer for all nations.” God’s invitation is nothing short of an invitation to an eternal covenant relationship that will be a part of God’s great plan to restore and bless His people. How do we apply this to us today?
First of all, due to God’s compassion, His pardon, and His covenant faithfulness, God’s people have a definite future. This is true however you interpret the details of that future (in terms of eschatology). Discussing the specific details related to God’s promises and faithfulness to Israel is not within the scope of this message except to say that God will be true to His promises in Isaiah 55-56. His covenant referred to in Isaiah 55 is an everlasting covenant that appears to tie the Davidic covenant to that of King David’s Greatest Son, Christ Jesus, the Lord.
By way of personal application, I think it is accurate to say that God’s blessings have come to me as a “Gentile” in the New Covenant sealed by the blood of God’s Son, the Messiah Himself (Ephesians 1:3). The New Testament makes clear that we have begun to experience the blessings of being united to the Messiah of Israel, even our Lord Jesus Christ. We are “in Christ,” and therefore His Spirit has been given to us. Therefore as the Apostle Peter affirms, we have a ”living hope,” and we have an eternal inheritance (1 Peter 1:3). This great invitation in Isaiah points to the great invitation that comes to us in Christ through the new covenant in Him.
But, the thrust of our Scripture passage is that we need to answer God’s invitation now. The knowledge of the future in Isaiah’s prophecy is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His promises. This is a further incentive to hear God’s words today and respond to Him. In other words, the knowledge of God’s covenant faithfulness and His promised future for His people is not just given for information. It is a reason why God’s people should get right with Him. They need to come back to Him, They need to hear His invitation. They need to have a heart for true fellowship with God now calling for repentance. Then, compassion and pardon will be experienced and they will live with sins forgiveness and in the light of His will for them. The future is a reason to get right in the present while the opportunity is there.
This was God’s purpose for His people expressed in His words. Whenever we read God’s Word, we do well to ask what is God’s purpose being revealed right in this text? Doing this will really help us when we seek to apply God’s Word to our lives. So, a great question to have in mind when reading God’s Word is – “what is God’s specific purpose in this part of His Word?” What is God seeking to accomplish through these Words that He has spoken and are now written down?
A concern for God’s purpose in any given passage of Scripture will keep us from reading our own purposes or agendas into the Scriptures. Right before the Apostle Paul solemnly charges Timothy to “preach the Word” he writes the following about the Scriptures that they (2 Timothy 3:15-17:
“….are able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
The Apostle goes on:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
The Scriptures first of all point us to Christ Jesus. They give us the wisdom that leads to salvation. Paul goes further. Affirming God as the author, he declares that the Scriptures are profitable in certain respects. The sound doctrine that we should believe and live by is written in the Scriptures. Sin is called out and exposed by the Scriptures and is to be forsaken by the Christian. The way back to spiritual health and obedience is taught in the Scriptures. True education in the right ways of living is found in the Scriptures.
Notice that the intended result that Paul emphasizes to Timothy is that this Word will make him complete, fit, and competent for every good work. This is the broader purpose of God’s Word that the preacher is to keep in mind.
Do you know what God is seeking to do in your life?
Yes, He is leading us to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. But then, he has a full-court press, a multi-faceted way of making us into mature, productive, good servants. Isn’t that what a good Father does through His words and His relationship with us? And that involves doctrine, reproof, correction and training.
So, thinking beyond Isaiah 55 and about your regular reading of God’s Word, you can ask these types of questions:
So, what do I need to believe and know as I read today? What do I need to confess, repent of, discard, put away, or change? What do I need to accept, adopt and start doing in my life? How am I to walk, or what right things do I need to keep doing as expressed in the Word of God?
These are great questions in line with God’s purpose for us in His Word. We will see that God’s Word is not only purposeful but productive according to God’s will for us.
From our key verses in Isaiah we see lastly that:
3. God’s Word is His Powerful Word – Don’t Miss It
The whole picture in Isaiah 55: 8-11 is of a Word that is powerful, it is sent forth. It is not just spoken, it is sent. And when it is sent forth it accomplishes God’s purpose, it will not return void. Note the very illustration in context (verses 9-10)
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word beIt is productive, it is powerful, it does not return empty.
Just as the rain and snow come down and their coming produces specific results, so it is with God’s Word. And the imagery used presents not only an initial result, bringing forth and sprouting, and a wonderful process of results ending with “bread to the eater.” The Word of God is powerfully productive. And what the Word of God produces will be good and beneficial.
The Bible starts with this revelation of the powerful Word of God. Genesis chapter one is a great illustration of the productive power of God’s Word: when God said, “Let there be light,” what happened? There was light. What wasn’t became into reality due to God’s Word. When God said, “Let us make man,” the text goes on to say, “So God created man in His own image.” When God speaks – things happen. In the mystery of our salvation it is stated that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.”
In short, God does what He says and He says what He does. His Word is powerful because it accomplishes what He purposes. On any given day, we may have a number of things that we want to purpose. But, some if not many will not be accomplished, because of our own limitations, and other factors. God’s Word is not limited in that way.
His High thoughts and His High ways are revealed to us in His Words and they are words that are personal, purposeful, and powerful.
Thank God for the power of His Word.
A Gospel account that has blessed me over the years is the story of the centurion who came to Jesus in Matthew 8:5-13. It is a very instructive account. His servant needed healing. And the centurion comes humbly to Jesus and says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (verse 8). There is much more to this episode, but Jesus commends this man’s faith in an extraordinary way. He believed that there was authority and power in the very words of Jesus due to who He was and the authority granted to Him. “Only say the word….”
When we say that God’s Word is powerful, we are really just saying that God is powerful and that He accomplishes what He says He accomplishes according to His will. He is able to do what He says. He doesn’t forget. He doesn’t promise what He can’t deliver. He doesn’t say half-truths that lack power or meaning. We may not see what God accomplishes through His Word according to His will, but we can be confident that God is able to do what He says, and He is faithful to His Word. The Word of God living as He is living (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is powerful because God is powerful, all-powerful.
So, God can and will be faithful to His personal and purposeful and powerful invitation to:
Covenant Fellowship, Abundant Forgiveness, A Blessed Future
So, don’t miss God’s Word of Invitation to You. Appreciate afresh that this is God’s Personal Word for you. Answer today because this is God’s Purposeful Word for you. Be confident that God will do what He says because God’s Word is indeed powerful.
And as we read our Bibles, let’s make sure that we do not miss what God has for us. Eliminate distractions. Close the distance by coming to God on His terms. And be ready to be surprised by getting to know more about the God that is higher than we are.
Thank you, Lord, for Your Word. Thank You for Your invitation to be in a relationship with you, and to know your compassion and forgiveness. Thank you that you have a future for me and a hope. Keep me in the Center of Your will, to the praise of Your glory and grace in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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