As I stood there about to make brownies for our home-school party, a terrifying thought struck me – I just made chocolate chip PEANUT BUTTER granola bars for my family’s snack, and there’s a young man in our group that’s severely allergic to peanuts. I immediately washed my hands over and over again, just to remove any residue that might be lingering. You see, when this young man comes in contact with the allergen, his throat immediately constricts, and his face begins to swell. Even the slightest contact with peanuts can cause a potentially fatal reaction. So, when the parents fix snacks or go anywhere as a group, we have to make sure we don’t bring foods that contain peanuts or have even been anywhere near them!
Thankfully, God reminded me about his condition, before I began making the brownies. As I stood there stirring, I began to think about how he manages this unwanted condition. Then, I remembered hearing his mom talk about carrying an epi-pen with her wherever she went, just in case he started to have a reaction. If she didn’t, he could be in serious trouble within a matter of minutes.
Think about that for a moment: his epi-pen is LIFE to him, literally.
Now, think about this for a moment (or more!!!) – God’s Word is LIFE to you and me. I know I wrote about the importance of God’s Word last week, but the thought is still with me this week. I can’t say that’s a bad thing. On the contrary, I think it’s a wonderful thing.
In Matthew 4, Christ had been fasting for 40 days. This time period was immediately following His baptism by John. Scripture says, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (vs.1). Then, in vs.2, the Word tells us that Satan waited until Jesus was “good and hungry” (my paraphrase) before he tempted Him to turn stones into bread. Jesus told him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Was Jesus saying we don’t need food? No, of course not…we need food to feed our physical bodies. Christ was saying that our life doesn’t just depend on how many cheeseburgers we can consume in a day. Instead, our life…our spiritual life (which affects our physical bodies)…is dependent on the Word of God – the Bible. Our health, our strength, our mental status – all of these things and more – are wrapped up in the Word.
In order to see what I mean, let me share a few examples. When you are fearful, use God’s Word to dispel that fear by quoting I Tim. 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” When you feel worthless and condemned as a believer in Christ, speak Romans 8:1 into your situation: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for those who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” When you are tired of doing good, and seeing no results – when you are tired of praying for that loved one to come to Christ and haven’t seen it happen yet, speak life to that feeling by quoting Gal. 6:9: “And let us not grow weary in doing good for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Do you see what I mean? Do you see what I’m talking about, and how God’s Word is our very lives?
In light of that, grab your spiritual epi-pen and don’t leave home without it. Memorize God’s Word, so you’ll be able to carry It with you wherever you go. After all, your very LIFE is at stake!
Dear God, help us, as YOUR people to memorize the life-giving Words You have spoken, so that we can not only exist, but have life and have it more abundantly through the power of the Spirit.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
People of the Word
My eyes need help…lots of help. So, I wear contacts during the day and glasses at night. This “need” became more apparent to me one night last week, after I took out my contacts. I didn’t realize that I hadn’t placed my glasses in the usual place the night before. Needless to say, I was basically blind. I searched and searched, but to no avail. I looked like Velma on Scooby Doo trying desperately to find her glasses, but unable to see they were right in front of her face.
I usually read my Bible at night, but this night, I couldn’t see It to read It. I actually tried, but to no avail. As I lay there thinking about the fact that I couldn’t read my Bible whenever I wanted to - an unusual thought came to my mind. If my Bible was ever taken away from me, what would I do? Would I know enough Scripture to be able to quote it back to myself, when I needed it? Would my mind pull up the verses I needed for strength and comfort, or would I flounder, wishing I’d spent more time memorizing what I said was most important to me?
I’m sorry to say - the latter would probably be my lot.
That thought caused a deep stirring in me to memorize more of the Word of God. I had made it a practice several years ago to study and memorize the Word faithfully, but in the last few years, other things have seemed to take precedence. That’s just like Satan, don’t you think – convincing us that other things are more important, so that we won’t be able to use the Sword of the Spirit against him when we need to.
Ps. 119:11 says “I have hidden Thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against You,” Ps119:105 says “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” and Colossians 3 challenges us to “let the Word of Christ dwell richly” in us.
I know it’s hard to memorize. I know it’s hard to focus, but if we are to call ourselves the “People of God,” then we need to be “People of the Word.” We need to know what God desires, and the only way to do that is to know what He says.
Whether we realize it or not, God’s Word is our very Life…our Source of Strength…our connection to God, Himself. And yet, few of us could make the claim that we have secured more than 20 verses of His precious Word in our hearts. I challenge you, along with myself, to begin now. If you don’t think you can do it, get someone else involved. Memorize Scripture together and encourage one another to do so. Just like walking for your health, it’s a whole lot easier to do when there’s someone else knocking at your door, waiting on you to appear dressed and ready to sweat!
May our lives be characteristic of those filled with the Word of God. May our Bibles truly be our Swords. May Satan tremble as we stand in opposition to him and quote Truth against his lies. May we be “People of the Word”…really.
Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, for it is our very connection to You. Thank You that as we seek to cause Your Word to dwell in us, You are pleased. Thank You, Lord for Your promises. Thank You.
I usually read my Bible at night, but this night, I couldn’t see It to read It. I actually tried, but to no avail. As I lay there thinking about the fact that I couldn’t read my Bible whenever I wanted to - an unusual thought came to my mind. If my Bible was ever taken away from me, what would I do? Would I know enough Scripture to be able to quote it back to myself, when I needed it? Would my mind pull up the verses I needed for strength and comfort, or would I flounder, wishing I’d spent more time memorizing what I said was most important to me?
I’m sorry to say - the latter would probably be my lot.
That thought caused a deep stirring in me to memorize more of the Word of God. I had made it a practice several years ago to study and memorize the Word faithfully, but in the last few years, other things have seemed to take precedence. That’s just like Satan, don’t you think – convincing us that other things are more important, so that we won’t be able to use the Sword of the Spirit against him when we need to.
Ps. 119:11 says “I have hidden Thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against You,” Ps119:105 says “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” and Colossians 3 challenges us to “let the Word of Christ dwell richly” in us.
I know it’s hard to memorize. I know it’s hard to focus, but if we are to call ourselves the “People of God,” then we need to be “People of the Word.” We need to know what God desires, and the only way to do that is to know what He says.
Whether we realize it or not, God’s Word is our very Life…our Source of Strength…our connection to God, Himself. And yet, few of us could make the claim that we have secured more than 20 verses of His precious Word in our hearts. I challenge you, along with myself, to begin now. If you don’t think you can do it, get someone else involved. Memorize Scripture together and encourage one another to do so. Just like walking for your health, it’s a whole lot easier to do when there’s someone else knocking at your door, waiting on you to appear dressed and ready to sweat!
May our lives be characteristic of those filled with the Word of God. May our Bibles truly be our Swords. May Satan tremble as we stand in opposition to him and quote Truth against his lies. May we be “People of the Word”…really.
Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, for it is our very connection to You. Thank You that as we seek to cause Your Word to dwell in us, You are pleased. Thank You, Lord for Your promises. Thank You.
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