The Power of God's Word: Where Joy & Strength Meet

Enjoying the Power of God's Word

We often acknowledge the power of God's word in much that we do... reading, going to church, study in devotional moments, study during Bible Studies or Sunday School, even calling ourselves Christians. But, how often do we stop to enjoy the power of God's word... to glorify Him for the power of His word, to praise and thank the Lord for the strength that it gives us. Three examples from very different moments, very different books will show us ways in which God's Word is powerful.

In the Law

⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ~Nehemiah 8:8-10

This is one of my favorite verses, and for that reason alone I'm pretty sure that I've cited it on my blog before. However, it isn't an old favorite. It's a newer favorite. It reminds me of my dear friend Kammy, who embodied that verse for me... so joyful. Yesterday as we listened to a sermon on joy, I thought of both this verse and Kammy right away... along with many other people and things that bring me joy, of course. But the person giving the sermon mentioned a quote from an old rabbinic text that read, "Someday you will be asked to give an account for all of the good things in God's creation that you were surrounded by and refused to enjoy." Just like the guest preacher, I very seldom think of "giving an account of those things that bring me joy." But, if I ever heard anyone do that, it would be Kammy. She was always saying, "Oh, Katie. I'm just so good. God is so good. He's helping Bi and me." Everything she had to say to me was an account of the joy given to her as a gift from God.

In this verse, though the joy is for a slightly different reason, it is still joy that came from God. Nehemiah makes it clear that this law is not a reason for mourning or sadness or overbearing rules. Quite the contrary. This law brought reason to enjoy and love and appreciate the care and council that the Lord had brought us.

In the Psalms

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful;
the voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes
with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people;
the LORD blesses his people with peace. ~Psalm 29:1-11

When many of us think think of praise and joy in the Bible, it may come quite naturally to look to Psalms... the book of many poems and songs that account for so many emotions certain do hold beautiful verses of joy. What I noticed about Psalm 29 this morning was not just the praise given to the Lord, but the praise given to the Lord because of His "voice". His voice... though we may not always be able to "hear" God in a physical sense, if we open ourselves up to Him, we can hear Him moving in our lives, blessings us with good things, guiding us with scripture and teaching us through the insights of other Christians. We often take for granted the ability to read the Bible, which at one point was not granted to us. In history, there was a point when only certain people were deemed capable to read the Bible. It is a joy to read God's powerful words!

But sometimes, I venture to suggest that we have read the Bible so often, heard the words so many times that we forget the power of these words! Just look at Psalm 29, His words are "everywhere, powerful, majestic, shaking, striking"... in essence, life-changing. Thomas Merton in "Opening the Bible" warns of the complacency which we may develop:

"There is, in a word, nothing comfortable about the Bible- until we manage to get so used to it that we make it comfortable for ourselves. But then we are perhaps too used to it and too at home in it. Let us not be too sure we know the Bible... just because we have learned not to have problems with it. Have we perhaps learned... not to really pay attention to it? Have we ceased to question the book and be questioned by it?"

We can only fully and completely enjoy the power of God's word when we open ourselves up to the challenge that it presents, allowing Him to strengthen us through that encounter.

In the Gospel

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~John 1:1-13

When we hear about God's word, this scripture may come to mind, perhaps for its unique and catchy characteristic, the beginning of John sticks with us. But following Merton's advice, let's allow it to challenge us as well.

Few may know that in Spanish, "verb" is used in place of "word in the first verses. It may seem a minor difference, but to me (as a linguist) a verb is a much more defined grammatical category. A verb implies action, doing something, changing, moving. Jesus, then, came not just to be some kind of word sitting in space. The word, I believe, that is meant by the beginning of John is the kind of word that we use when we say, "send word to so-and-so" or "did you hear the word?" Jesus didn't come just to be, just to exist in the world. He came to spread the message to "all who did receive Him".

Praise the Lord for the power of His word!

Let's enjoy it, let's read it, let's be challenged by it all the days of our lives!