Verse of the Day - Isaiah 40:8

The grass dries up. The flower loses its color. But the Word of our God stands forever.
~ Isaiah 40:8 (NLV)

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What do you think of when you hear the phrase "the Word of God"?

Most people probably think of the Bible, and this is true, of course. God inspired men through the Holy Spirit to record His message to the world (1 Timothy 3:16-17). If you've read the Bible a bit, you may also think of Jesus, which is also true. John records in the first chapter of his gospel that Jesus was the Word of God that came to the world in human form.

But I sometimes wonder if people get the idea that God's word is all in the past, that His word is simply printed pages in black leather. Let me ask you: if there were no Bibles in the world, would God's word still exist? If Jesus had never appeared to us, would God's word still exist? The answer is yes. And the reason that is true is that God Himself is alive! He has existed before time began and will continue forever. He is a living, thinking being, filled with all holiness and power. His truth just is. Period. It's kind of like the notion of whether a tree falling in the forest makes noise if there's no one to hear it. Is God's word alive if no one hears or reads it? Yes. Because He exists. Because He is perfect and eternal, His word is perfect and eternal. No one can erase it, discard it, or disprove it. It simply is. Hallelujah!

Do you realize that your Bible is just paper with ink on it? There is really no sacredness to it. The point is that God's word is not limited to the two pounds of pulp bound in genuine simulated bonded leather that you tote around. Does that shock you? I had a friend tell me that, back in his rebellion years, they used to use the pages of a Gideon Bible to roll marijuana joints. Does that shock you? Perhaps it does. But does that diminish or burn up God's word? NO! It existed before the printing press was even invented, and will exist if every Bible in the world was burned!

Our God is bigger than we give Him credit for. What He thinks and communicates to us will never grow old or die, never become obsolete or ineffective. He is not limited to our earthly boundaries. And yet...

*...He chose to capture His word on permanent record in the form of the Scriptures -- the written word -- probably because He knew we'd end up getting it all mixed up if we simply tried to retell it, like playing the game 'Telephone'! It needed to be written down so that we couldn't add to it or take away from it with our supposed wisdom and knowledge.

* ...Jesus came....the Word made flesh...God come to earth. His life was the personification and exact representation of God Himself (Hebrews 1:3). Want to know what God thinks, knows and says? Look to Jesus.

* ...the Holy Spirit is given to those who believe in the Son of God. He speaks to our hearts and minds what God needs us to know (John 14:15-17).

Same God, same message. Always and forever. You can count on it to be true, because God is truth. Don't worry about man's attempt to disclaim it or destroy it -- it is impossible! God is not worried if someone throws away or burns a Bible...His word is alive and cannot be destroyed. If the world says that Jesus is a fake, God is grieved, but that does not diminish who His Son is in the least!

God said to Abraham at the burning bush, "I Am that I Am." (Exodus 3:14) Jesus told some argumentative Jews, "Before Abraham was born, I am!" (John 8:58) Creation cannot usurp or destroy the Creator. Nor can they destroy His Word. Trust in Him and His Word. It is eternal life for those who believe...

Love,
Joelene