The Living Word: Part One

The following post is the beginning of a series of posts about the Living Word, the Bible. 

'For the word of God is alive and powerful...’
Hebrews 4:12

If you love the Lord, you’ll love His Word. Loving God is loving the Word.

'Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.'
Jeremiah 15:16

In 1971, about 3 months after receiving Christ, I was sitting alone in a very small car that I had been driving and for the first time I heard the Lord speak to me. He spoke from Proverbs 4, which has been a guiding Scripture for my personal walk ever since. On that particular day, it was the first two words that gripped my attention more than any other:

'My son, pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
    keep them within your heart;
    for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.'
Proverbs 4:20-23

The highest priority in my life was to be in the Word. I knew I needed to give attention to it. 

Submit to the Word, don’t submit the Word to you. Let the Word be your vision. Let your eyes view the Scriptures all the time. If the Word is in your view, it will find its way into your heart. Use meditation on the Word to transform information into revelation.

This is when the Word becomes food for your spirit. This when the Word becomes light and life. This is when the Word becomes healing, health and wholeness.

When the Word holds prominence in our heart our attitude will be kept sweet. It will allow us to guard our hearts from everything that would infect it with bad attitudes.

The Bible is the final, authoritative and authentic Word of God in the Earth.

'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.'
2 Timothy 3:16

'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away.'
Matthew 24:35

Some proofs that the Bible is inspired by God are: 

• Over 40 different authors wrote 66 different books across 3 different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe) over 1600 years in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek. Man could not and would not have written it. 
• About 3,300 verses of prophecy have been fulfilled. Not one detail has yet failed. About 2,908 verses are either currently being fulfilled or are yet to be fulfilled.
• It is scientifically and historically correct. No one man has ever yet conclusively proved the Bible to be at fault in its many hundreds of statements on history, anatomy, botany, geology or any branch of learning.
• Over 3,800 times, Bible writers claim that God spoke what they wrote. The Bible itself claims to be the Word of God.
• The calibre of those who wrote it and who receive it is a testament to its spiritual and moral excellence. Ungodly men oppose the Word of God. 
• The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any 10 pieces of classical literature combined. 
• It has survived all attempts to destroy it. From AD 303, when Diocletian issued an edict to destroy Christians and their Bibles, to now, when various regimes of history attempted to destroy the Bible... none have succeeded.

'The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul...'
Psalm 19:7a

There is no writing or philosophy in the world that is perfect other than the Word of God. Only the Word has the power to convert. When we read it, conviction comes on us about our wrongs and we are converted from opposing the Lord to being those who stand for Him.

'...The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;'
Psalm 19:7b

Scripture makes you smart. It doesn’t dumb you down. It sharpens you. Instead of falling victim to our naivety we become wise through the influence of the Word of God on our mind.

There are five ways we can get into the Word: 

1. Hearing it

2. Reading it

3. Studying it

4. Memorising it

5. Meditating on it.

As you spend time in the Word, reading it will become a habit to you. But it's not enough to just dwell on it - we need to keep our attitude right. 

We cannot make a tree. But if we plant a tree seed in good soil and tend to that seed, the seed itself will do the work.

We need to be good soil for the seed of the Word to lodge within us so that it can produce fruit in our lives.