The Power Of God's Word

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” — 1 Thessalonians 2: 13.

The value of the words of a man depends upon my knowledge of him who speaks. What a difference when a man gives me the promise, I will give you the half of all i have, whether the speaker be a poor man who owns a shilling, or a millionaire who offers to share his fortune with me. One of the first requisites to fruitful Bible study is the knowledge of God as the omnipotent one, and of the power of His word. The power of God’s word is infinite. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made. He spoke and it was done; He commanded and it stood fast” Psalms 33:9. In the word of God, His omnipotence works: it has creative power and calls into existence the very thing of which it speaks.

The word of the Living God is a living word that gives life. It can not only call into existence, but even make alive again that which is dead.

Its quickening power can raise dead bodies, and can give eternal life to dead souls. All spiritual life comes through it, for we are born of incorruptible seed by the word of God that lives and abides forever. Here lies, hidden from many, one of the deepest secrets of the blessing of God’s word- the faith in its creative and quickening energy. The word will work in me the very disposition or grace which it commands or promises. “It works effectually in them that believe.” Nothing can resist its power when received into the heart through the Holy Spirit “It works effectually in them that believe.” “The voice of the Lord is in power.”

Everything depends upon learning the art of receiving that word into the heart. And in learning this art, the first step is- faith in its living, its omnipotence, and its creative power. By His word “as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist Romans 4:17 As true as this is of all God’s mighty deeds from creation on to the resurrection of the dead, it is true too of every word spoken to us in His holy book. Two things keep us from believing this as we should.

The one is the terrible experience in all around, and perhaps in ourselves too, of the word being made of none effect by human wisdom or unbelief or worldliness. The other is the neglect of the teaching of the scripture that the word is a seed.

Seeds are small, seeds may be long dormant, seeds have to be hidden, and when they sprout are of slow growth. Because the action of God’s word is hidden and unobserved, slow, and seemingly feeble, and we do not believe in its omnipotence. Let us make it one of our first lessons. The word I study is the power of God unto salvation: it will work in me all I need, all the Father asks.

What a prospect this faith would open up for our spiritual life! We should see all the treasures and blessings of God’s grace to be within our reach. The word has power to enlighten our darkness: in our hearts it will bring the light of God, the sense of His love, and the knowledge of His will. The word can fill us with strength and courage to conquer every enemy, and to do whatever God asks us to do.

The word would cleanse, and sanctify, would work in us faith and obedience, would become in us the seed of every trait in the likeness of our Lord. Through the word, the Spirit would lead us into all truth, that is, make all that is in the word true in us, and so prepare our heart to be the habitation of the Father and the Son.

What a change would come over our relation to God’s word and to the Morning watch if we really believed this simple truth. Let us begin our training for that ministry of the word which every believer must exercise, by proving its power in our own experience. Let us begin to seek this, quietly setting ourselves to learn the great faith lesson, the mighty power of God’s word.

Nothing less than this is meant by saying: the word of God is true! Because God himself will make it true in us. We shall have much to learn in regard to what hinders that power, much to overcome, to be freed from these hindrances, and much to surrender to receive that work. But all will come right if we will only set out upon our Bible study with the determined resolve to believe that God’s word has omnipotent power in the heart to work every blessing of which it speaks What a change would come over our relation to God’s word and to the Morning watch if we really believed this simple truth. Let us begin our training for that ministry of the word which every believer must exercise, by proving its power in our own experience. Let us begin to seek this, quietly setting ourselves to learn the great faith lesson, the mighty power of God’s word. Nothing less than this is meant by saying: the word of God is true! Because God himself will make it true in us. We shall have much to learn in regard to what hinders that power, much to overcome, to be freed from these hindrances, and much to surrender to receive that work. But all will come right if we will only set out upon our Bible study with the determined resolve to believe that God’s word has omnipotent power in the heart to work every blessing of which it speaks.