We need the power of the Holy Spirit and also the word of God in our lives. The Bible says in one place, “You are mistaken because you do not know the scripture and the power of God”. In our Christian life we need the power of God and the word of God. In Genesis we see the complete working of God’s word and the Holy Spirit. Both together bought the change in the shapeless, void and empty earth into a beautiful land. We see the combined working of God’s word and the Holy Spirit in the first chapter of the Bible. This has to happen in our lives too. In Genesis we read that every day God spoke and His power worked to bring about a miraculous change.
In Psalms 119:133 we read, “Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me”. In another translation we read, “Steady my footsteps in your word and do not let any sin master over me”. Psalms 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible and the author is unknown. The Psalmist prayer has a New Covenant spirit in it – Steady my footsteps (life) in your word so that I may have a victorious life. In Psalms 119 talks a lot about the truth of God’s word. In verse 1 we read, “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord”. In verse 9 we read, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.” In verse 11 we read, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You”. In verse 16 we read, “I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.” In verse 101 we read, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.” In verse 105 we read, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. How much importance we need to give to the word of God. The word of God is living and active. It should live in our life and produce fruits.
In our life’s journey, there many steps before us. God has planned all our steps, but He hasn’t revealed them all. His will is to reveal them day by day, step by step – so that we will completely depend on Him. In Ephesians 5:15-16 we read, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” There are many things in this world. This world, Satan and our flesh will try to divert us from God’s word. Therefore we have to walk as wise men. In Mathew 2 we read of the wise men. They followed the star for many miles to see Jesus. The star is a symbol of God’s word. When they reached Jerusalem, they stopped following the star. They assumed that Jesus would be born in the King’s palace. After not finding Jesus there, they came back and followed the star again to find Jesus in the manger. We also have a good beginning in our Christian life with a desire to follow Jesus. After some time, we have some experiences and knowledge and so can start to lean on our own understanding without depending on the Holy Spirit. This is the way Satan tries to divert our direction. The wise men depended on their understanding and assumed that Jesus would be born in the palace and so stopped following the star. We can also fall into this danger! Never lean on your understanding. It will change our direction. Because of the foolish decision of the wise men, we know the consequences that followed – the king ordered the death of many babies. When we depend on our knowledge and self, we will slowly divert from the truth and won’t be able to reach the place that God wanted us to reach.
In Revelation we read of the letter to the churches. Of the 7 churches, God has nothing to correct in the church of Philadelphia and Smyrna. We can see a common thing in these 2 churches – they went through a lot of suffering and difficulties in their lives. To the church in Philadelphia God says in Revelation 3:8, “because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name”. God appreciates that they have kept His word and have not denied His name. This is what we need to do in our times of difficulties, trials and suffering. In verse 10 God’s promise to this church is, “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” In our times of testing, we need the power of God and the word of God. By keeping God’s word, He will protect us. When we meet Jesus on the final day, God will check our Christian life with a plumb line on. Let us judge ourselves according to the word of God and correct any misalignment. Let us constantly judge ourselves so that we can stand with confidence on the final day.
In Luke 10:21 we read, “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”” We have to receive the word of God in Spirit and it will give us life. The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. How can the word of God become a revelation in our lives? Only by humbling ourselves like a child. In Mathew 7:24-27 we read the parable of the house built on the rock and the one built on the sand. Those who hear the word of God and puts it to practice is the wise man but the one who doesn’t practice it is a foolish man. The word that Jesus spoke before these verses – the sermon on the mount – should be a reality in our lives. We have to work out to put them to practice. The sermon that Jesus spoke in Mathew 5,6, and 7 are those of a high standard. We haven’t reached the top, but let us press on to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. One day when we see Him, we will be like Him. When we climb the mountain step by step, God will steady our footsteps. We have to completely depend on the word of God and not on our understanding. In 1 Corinthians 1:18 we read, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” The word of the cross is the power of God for us. When Jesus started His ministry, the 1st word that Jesus said was in Mathew 4:4, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”. We have to give the word of God highest importance. Let us live according to the word of God – this is the way to live. Let us have this prayer in Psalms 119:133 in our lives daily that no sin may be master over us.
May God bless us all!
