The Word of God in Pictures

The Word of God is

• Bread 
• Sword
• Light, lamp
• Seed
• Honey, honeycomb
• Fire
• Hammer
• Mirror
• Silver and Gold
• Judge
• Water

God's Word - The Bible - is Alive and Active

Newton's Cradle

I've been giving lots of thought to my last post on Monday is for Memorizing The Word - The Living and Active Word. I wanted to more fully comprehend the concept that the Word that God speaks is "alive and full of power".

I would like you to think with me about what this phrase from scripture (Hebrews 4:12) means, because as my pastor says, we as Western Christians are "lazy". We read the words of scripture and say, "oh those are nice words, oooo, ahhhh" and then we go on our merry way without very much of an impact. The Holy Spirit has been prompting me to meditate the scripture as a whole, to dig to understand the meaning of the individuals words and context. The applied energy of study brings in the transforming power of God's Word.

This world that we live in - that is the earth on which we inhabit - exists and operates based on laws. These laws were created and established for the efficient operation of our existence by God. By examining the laws that God, himself, created and established we are able to get a fuller understanding of God and His activity on this planet.

To better understand the concept that the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power (Hebrews 4:12) I decided to look at science. As I mentioned in my last post one of the first thoughts that come to mind is that there is movement. Something, or someone that is alive has movement. One definition of life that I found is the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth (movement & multiplying energy), reproduction, functional activity (movement), and continual change (movement) preceding death. The movement of something that is alive is intrinsic - that is the energy of motion is the very essence of life.

If we look at Newton's Laws of Motion it might help us understand the life changing energy contained in these words "the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power."

Newton's First Law of Motion states that an object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an external force.Objects will remain in their state of motion unless a force acts to change the motion. The influences which cause changes in the motion of objects are forces. A force may be defined as any influence which tends to change the motion of an object. The state of motion of an object is defined by its velocity - the speed with a direction.

So using Newton's Law of Motion let me rewrite the phrase "the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power" - the Word that God speaks is a force in a state of motion which can be defined by it's velocity - it's speed with a direction. The force of the Word that God speaks contains the potential energy to change the energy - the speed and direction - of our life.

We as humans are also alive. We are at our core of existence are filled with the same life, or "aliveness" - the energy of motion that is the very essence of life that comes from God our creator. Scriptures says that we are created in the image of God. Another way of saying that would be to say that we are created in the "essence" of God. We are not only in the form or construct of God, but we embody an extract of his divine nature in our earthly bodies. This is called our spirit.

Our spirit is alive and the life of our spirit is of the same essence as the Word of God - that which comes out of the Living Eternal God.

There's more, so much more. Hopefully this makes sense. Meditate on this, God's Word - The Bible -  is alive and active. The Holy Scripture is a force of energy that is in a state of motion - velocity - speed with direction. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the power of this simple concept.

More on this in my next post.

Monday is for Memorizing The Word - The Living and Active Word

Statement of Faith from The Faith Project - The Word of God is Alive and Active in Me.

The Bible is very clear that scripture, which is God's Word, written and recorded by anointed men, and preserved through time and history, is the very essence of power.

Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.

In this verse we are told that God's Word is

• alive
• full of power
• active
• operative 
• energizing
• effective

I have to stop and think on this a while. Meditate on what it means when something is alive and full of power. One of the first thoughts that come to mind is that there is movement. Something, or someone that is alive has movement. 

When I think of something full of power I think of an electrical cord plugged in to the power source. The cord may look lifeless and unimpressive laying there on the floor but when it's attached to a power tool on one end and plugged into the power source on the other end - the energy flowing through the bundle of wires and plastic cord create movement that creates an impact.

Think about a blender or a drill - when the limp and lifeless power cord is plugged into the energy sources the blender comes to life and pulverizes ingredients from peanuts, to peanut butter. Or the drill takes on movement when connected to the power source and is used to create to push back barriers of wood, metal, and concrete to make holes of various sizes.

The Word of God is alive and full of power. We are the limp and lifeless power cord. Created to carry the current of God's energy that comes through the study and application of God's Word.

Memorizing God's Word creates a "power pack" effect. The power of God's Word can be drawn from memory as we speak God's Word into every situation of our lives.

God has been speaking to me as I seek to understand what it takes to live an attractive, powerful life as a follower of Christ. This is the very foundation of walking by faith, because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. There is no other way to have the power filled life in Christ that I seek except to spend time studying and memorizing God's powerful Word. Very simple. Very profound.

I hope that as you read this that somehow it creates a hunger to experience more of God's life changing power in your own walk with him. Read, study and be trained by the powerful Word of God.

For additional resources on studying the Power of God's Word:

1. Precept Austin - Inductive Bible Study tools for unlocking the divine power of Scripture.
2. The Power of God's Word - Robert Preus - This article speaks to "What is the Word of God" an important discovery if we are to thrive as followers of Christ. "...that nebulous and distant word of which modern theology speaks, that word which cannot be found or objectified or even repeated, cannot be kept and treasured in our hearts; we cannot even get hold of it to cling to it."