I’m THANKFUL for HIS WORD.
It encourages me.
It reminds me.
It convicts me.
It brings joy.
It brings comfort.
It brings rest.
It brings guidance.
It brings life.
I’m not sure how you’d describe ALL that God’s Word does for you, but these are just a few of things that HIS WORD accomplishes in my life. Maybe not surprising, but NO other book does this for me.
I really enjoy reading… never in a million years did I think I’d say that, but I genuinely enjoy spending time with a good book seeking to learn anything and everything that I can.
Mark Batterson. Tim Keller. C.S. Lewis. R.T. Kendall. Brennan Manning. Jon Tyson. Marc Clark. Rosaria Butterfield. Paul Tripp. John Mark Comer. Brent Hansen. Ben Stuart. Megan Marshman. Eugine Peterson. Mark Miller. Jennie Allen. John Eldridge. John Piper.
These are some of the authors that I was able to engage with over the past 12-months. And when I say ‘engage’, I simply mean listen and learn from what God has taken them through. But to maybe state the obvious, despite learning much and being challenged in unique ways from each of these truly brilliant authors, not one of them does for me what the Author does for me every single day.
“Living and active.”
That’s how God’s Word describes God’s Word in Hebrews 4. Because the Bible, HIS WORD, is LIVING and ACTIVE, it’s able to speak to me every time I open HIS WORD. And not just ‘speak’ in abstract or theoretical ways, but in highly personal and practical ways.
Or to say ALL of that another way…
GOD’S WORD GIVES ME EXACTLY WHAT GOD WANTS ME TO HAVE FOR THE MOMENT HE HAS ME IN.
If you’re at all thinking…
“Sounds awesome Michael, but let’s be honest, how could a book that was written 1000’s of years ago speak into ALL the complexities that is the 21st Century?”
If you were thinking that… awesome, and if you weren’t, well, you are now so let me reiterate the three words above…
LIVING AND ACTIVE.
Because God’s Word is ALIVE, HIS WORD is able to do what no other book in all of history has the ability to accomplish… SPEAK.
Regardless of the season of time and life you’re in, HIS WORD will give us exactly what we need to navigate that moment.
Dating.
Engagement.
Marriage.
Parenting.
Work.
Money.
Culture.
Politics.
Sin.
Addiction.
Healing.
Freedom.
Neighboring.
Purpose.
Mission.
Life.
Death.
Afterlife.
Not the exhaustive list of things HIS WORD illuminates for us, but needless to say, HIS WORD speaks life and truth and wisdom and encouragement to ALL areas of who we are and where He has us.
In the coming months, I want to make use of these devotionals to share with you what the LORD through HIS WORD is sharing with me. And I hope that in some way, HIS WORD will bring encouragement to where the LORD has you and I in this season of life.
As way of example, this past Monday morning, these were the verses the LORD had me in…
“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?”
Deuteronomy 20:19 (NLT)
I wasn’t planning on attacking any trees on Monday, but I was reminded afresh that there is not one aspect of God’s GOOD CREATION that He is not concerned with… including the trees :).
Until next Wednesday’s devotional, enjoy opening HIS WORD and seeing how the LORD will breathe life into your LIFE through His life-giving Word.
