I seem to keep coming back to this basic truth, over and over again.
The Bible is an incredibly powerful miracle.
I am amazed at the treasures of insight and wisdom buried there, in deepening layers. More than I will ever be able to mine in my own lifetime.
I have an old, Thompson Chain Reference Bible with a soft cover, and a couple of blank pages bound in the back. I started to write on those blank pages, verses where God talks about the power of his Word. It makes quite an impression on me whenever I read that list straight through. No wonder Jesus — himself Logos, the living Word — said such things like, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8) That’s powerful!
Psalm One — itself the gateway to the treasury of the Psalter, written by priests and kings, in just a few lines creates this unforgettable image for us of the universal aspirations, hopes, and desires of all humankind: who wouldn’t love to be like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf doesn’t ever wither, and who prospers, no matter what? Yes, please. And how to achieve this? — the secret is in knowing God’s word: “…on his law (word) he meditates day and night.” (1:2)
Jesus, himself both priest and king, would quote more from Psalms than any other Old Testament book and fulfill its many prophecies about him. Not only is he the Word made flesh (John 1:14) but also, he is (and so the Word is) the source of living water (John 4:13-14).
Psalm 19 makes some amazing claims about the power of God’s word: it’s perfect. It has the power to revive my soul. It has the power to change a simple person —in other words, a stupid fool. I’ve been one of those at times — into a wise one. It claims that God’s word is a source of joy. It describes God’s word as radiant; and as such, it helps me to see (to perceive and to understand) when I don’t see very well; either because it’s gotten dark outside of me or it’s gotten dark inside of me. Psalm 19 is like a mini-Psalm-119, the longest Psalm, which over and over again makes the same fantastic claims — and more — about the word of God.
1Peter 1:22-23 makes the statement that, for Christians, who believe that the Bible offers a plan of salvation — a Way to “cross over” (Jesus’ words, John 5:24) from death to life — the power of that miracle lies in the word of God.
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:22-23, NIV)
The power that spoke creation into being; the power that raised Jesus from the dead; the power that cast out demons in the New Testament; the power that transforms lives, if we let it. If we believe it. If we live it, breathe it (there’s a beautiful little mystery about the content of our words in that idea of our breath). It is quite mysterious, how Jesus cryptically declares in John 6, “I am the bread of life…I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:35, 53-54 NIV) I can’t help but think about his words in Matthew 4:4: “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
It is mysterious, it is magical, and it is true. The word of God is able to do every single amazing thing it claims about itself.
At some point, not wanting to ever misplace my list, I typed out my handwritten treasure trove of verses from the back of that old Bible. Here it is (all references are from the NIV unless otherwise indicated):
POWER OF THE WORD
Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26
God spoke; brought order out of chaos
Exodus 15:26
Listen carefully to the voice of the Lord and do what is right in his eyes
Leviticus 26:21
Not listening to God = hostility toward God
Deuteronomy 4:10
Assemble the people to hear my words, so they may learn to revere me
Deuteronomy 32:47
They are not just idle words for you; they are your life
1 Chronicles 10:13
So Saul died…because of the word of the Lord, which he did not keep
2 Chronicles 15:8
Asa heard God’s word >>> courage
Psalm 1:2-3
Delight in the [word] of the Lord >> like a tree planted by streams of water…whatever you do prospers
Psalm 10:3 NASB
The greedy man…spurns the Lord [implying: spurns God’s word]
Psalm 17:4
By the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
Psalm 17:13
Rescue me from the wicked by your sword (Hebrew 4:12-13 God’s word = sharpest sword]
Psalm 19:7
The [word] of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul…making wise the simple…giving joy to the heart…giving light to the eyes
Psalm 33:6, 9
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made…he spoke, and it came to be
Psalm 37:31
The law of God is in his heart; his feet do not slip
Psalm 53:4
For the word of the Lord is right and true
Psalm 81:13
If my people would listen to me…follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies
Psalm 107:11
I rebelled against the word of God >> darkness, gloom and suffering
Psalm 107:20
He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave
Psalm 107:25
He spoke and stirred up a tempest
Psalm 119:9-11
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you
Psalm 119:35; 45; 89; 96
your word = delight; freedom; eternal; boundless
Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of your word gives light…understanding to the simple
Psalm 119:152
Long ago I learned from your [word] that you established [it] to last forever
Psalm 119:155
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees
Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they who love your [word]; nothing can make them stumble
Psalm 138:2
You have exalted above all things your name and your word
Psalm 147:15; 18
His word runs swiftly; he sends his word and melts them
Psalm 148:5
He commanded, and they were created
Proverbs 2:6
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding
Proverbs 8:29
He gave the sea its boundary, so the waters would not overstep his command
Proverbs 29:5
every word of God is flawless
Proverbs 30: 5-6
every word of God is flawless; do not add to his words or he will rebuke you
Isaiah 30:9
Rebellious, deceitful = unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction
Isaiah 31:2
He does not take back his words
Isaiah 45:23
My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked
Isaiah 50:4
To know the word that sustains the weary
Jeremiah 1:12
I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled
Jeremiah 6:19
[disaster is coming to people], the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.
Jeremiah 13:10
…wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words
Jeremiah 15:16
When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy
Jeremiah 23:9
I am like a person overcome by wine, because of the Lord and his holy words
Jeremiah 23:29
Is not my word like fire…and like a hammer
Jeremiah 26:2
Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word
Ezekiel 33:15
The decrees that give life
Micah 2:7
my words do good to him whose ways are upright
Matthew 4:4
Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word…from the mouth of God
Matthew 8:16
He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick
Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:42
“have you never read…” ???
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away
Luke 21:15
I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will …resist or contradict
John 1:3
Through God’s word everything was created
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 6:63
The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life
John 6:68
You have the words of eternal life
John 8:51
If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death
John 10:35
The Scripture cannot be broken
John 12:47-50
I know that his command leads to eternal life…the Word is our judge
John 15:3
you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you
Romans 10:17
Faith comes from hearing the message
Colossians 2:16-17
By the Word all things were created, in God’s Word all things hold together
1 Thessalonians 2:13
The Word is at work in you
2 Timothy 2:9
God’s word is not chained
2 Timothy 3: 16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed…useful…equips us perfectly
Hebrews 1:3
Sustaining all things by his powerful word
Hebrews: 4:12-13
God’s word is living and active; sharper than any double-edged sword…
1 Peter 1:23-25
Born again, of unperishable seed…this is the word that was preached to you
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