A FRESH COMMITMENT TO THE WORD OF GOD
I want to share a Word of exhortation today that, to be perfectly frank, I know some may not want to heed. No, not because it’s a harsh or condemning word; for I don’t have any of those. It’s because it’s so simple that some might consider this “old” (see Matthew 13:52) — or too elementary.
Regardless, it’s what you need to hear! How do I know? Because it’s what I need to hear. It’s what the Body of Christ needs to hear. Whatever you need, this Word is your answer.
It’s not the “deep” things that hinder us. It’s the simple things (some of which we know, or think we know) — but we’re not doing them.
This is Your Answer
The Word I have to share with you is simply this — Make a fresh commitment to the Word of God. Do it again and again — and I’ll say it again — Whatever you need, this is your answer.
Not too long ago, the Lord spoke to my heart and said:
“Tell My people if they will heed My Word, stand on My Word, say what My Word says and act on My Word, that I will move heaven and earth to correct their situation. But if they will not believe My Word until their circumstances change, then there is nothing I can do.”
Now we all know that God can do anything — and in one sense that’s right — but in another sense, He’s limited to what you and I believe — and then only if what we believe is what He said first.
After He spoke this to my heart, my attention was immediately drawn to the Gospel of John, chapter 1…
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Before I go on, please re-read this verse a couple of times.
One time, I was reading this verse in my Bible, and I just got “stuck” there. I began to read it over and over. While doing that, two things went off in my spirit:
- First, our beginning must be the Word.
- Second, the Word must be GOD.
The Bible does not just contain the Word of God. It IS the Word of God — and looked at another way, is God Himself. To have success in any endeavor, obtain promises or to overcome in any situation:
- Our beginning must be the Word.
- The Word must be God.
Looking back, I can say that whenever I have gotten in a bind, whenever I’ve had a chronic problem, the Lord has always told me, “Son, get back to My Word!”
Our Beginning Must Be the Word
Remember this: If you are born again, you are born of the Word. That’s where you started! That’s in line with 1 Peter 1:23…
1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
Any failure in our Christian lives is due to leaving God’s Word!
1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some (in the church) shall depart from the faith (which comes by the Word), giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…(doctrines that explain away the Word).”
Examples of this are everywhere today. “God doesn’t heal today.” “If God wants someone to be saved, He’ll just do it. Don’t worry about witnessing to them.” (We could go on, but you get the picture.)
2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth (of the Word), and shall be turned unto fables.”
Speaking of fables, let’s turn to 2 Peter chapter 1…
Don’t ever substitute experience, a teaching, a prophecy, or anything else. Don’t let these things dissuade you from what “thus saith the Lord” in His written Word!
If you want to conquer a problem, start with the Word. Let the Word guide you, not your emotions; how you feel about the situation; what you heard Brother So-and-so say about it; or anything else!
2 Peter 1:16-21 “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (17) For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Here Peter is speaking of his experience on the mountain of transfiguration (recorded in Matthew 17). I find it interesting that in verse 17, Peter left something out from his account of this experience. Compare this with Matthew’s account…
Matthew 17:5 “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
When Peter recorded the incident in his second epistle, he left out the phrase “Hear ye Him” which was the Father’s very gracious way of telling Peter to “Keep quiet!” I think Peter probably left this part of the story out because, at the time, the Father was responding to Peter’s quick mouth, and to Peter, this part of the story was incriminating!
The Word of God: Sure, Solid, Reliable
Going on with 2 Peter chapter 1,
“(18) And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (19) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:”
Here Peter is saying that prophecy shines a light in a dark place. That’s a definite function of prophecy and prophetic words, to be sure. BUT, notice which prophecy Peter is talking about…
“(20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
The prophecy that Peter is speaking of is not the gift of prophecy, but the scripture itself. Scripture is God’s voice to you and me.
“(21) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
From verses 18, 19 and 20, we learn that the written Word of God is more sure than if you were to hear the audible voice of God.
Not only that, The Word of God is more sure than the ground on which we walk!
Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (cf. Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33)
When you left your house this morning, did you “work up” faith for the ground in front of your house to hold you up? Or that gravity would keep your feet on planet earth? I think not. So why do we try to believe the Word of God?
Let me say it again: The Word of God is more sure than the ground on which we walk. We might as well go ahead and agree with it now.
Bringing Heaven to Earth through the Word
Psalm 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
God’s Word is already settled in heaven…
Matthew 6:10 “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
…but it’s not necessarily settled on the earth. That part is up to us. Our job is to settle the Word here, for we are workers together with God (2 Cor. 6:1).
Numbers 23:19-20 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (20) Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.”
Believing God is understanding Who God is (v. 19), and what He put you here to do (v. 20). Notice:
1. God cannot lie.
2. He will fulfill His Word.
3. We cannot reverse what God has said.
Romans 3:3-4 “For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? (4) God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
When we think, speak or act contrary to the Word of God, we are calling God a liar. (Further, according to Galatians 6:7, we are mocking God.) God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Three things we must do:
1. Commit to the Word.
2. Find out what the Word says about your situation.
3. Agree with what the Word says, despite any evidence to the contrary. (We agree with the Word by thinking, speaking and acting according to the Word.)
The Word for Your Healing and Health
If you are sick or in need of a physical miracle, let me make it simple by exhorting you to apply this word to your situation.
What does God’s Word say about your health?
Exodus 15:26 “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”
Exodus 23:25 “And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and He shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.”
Psalm 103:1-3 “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (3) Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases…”
Psalm 107:20 “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs (pains), and carried our sorrows (sicknesses): yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Matthew 8:17 “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken (make alive or heal) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
The Word for Your Finances
Of course, God’s Word deals with every area of life.
What does God’s Word say about your finances?
Joshua 1:8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
We’ve been talking about the Word. Making the Word your meditation will bring prosperity and success.
Job 36:11 “If [you] obey and serve him, [you] shall spend [your] days in prosperity, and [your] years in pleasures.”
Psalms 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Psalm 35:27 “Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Prosperity is God’s idea. If for the servants, how much more for His sons?
Psalms 65:11 “God crowns my year with His goodness, and His footsteps drop abundance.”
Psalms 84:11 “The LORD God is my sun and shield. He gives me grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from me, because I walk uprightly.”
Isaiah 1:19 “(If) I am willing and obedient, and I (will) eat the good of the land.”
Matthew 6:33 “(If) I seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, all the things the world seeks after are added unto me.”
2 Corinthians 8:9 “Jesus was rich, yet for my sake He became poor, that I, through His poverty, might be rich.”
(This is redemptive language. Notice the exchange.)
2 Corinthians 9:8 “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work…”
Philippians 4:19 “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
3 John 2 “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
1 Samuel 2:7 “The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.”
Summing Up
Again, here are three things we must do:
1. Commit to the Word.
2. Find out what the Word says about your situation.
3. Agree with what the Word says, despite any evidence to the contrary. (We agree with the Word by thinking, speaking and acting according to the Word.)
Hebrews 6:12 “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
A commitment to the Word of God is not something we start and stop — or something we “try out” like a new car, to see if we like it. No, we’re in this for the “long haul.” Having said that — Take the Word and GO FOR IT!
