A traveler was packing his suitcase in preparation for a long trip. He said to a friend, “In this small corner of my suitcase, I am going to put a lamp, a mirror, a telescope, a sharp sword, and a small library.” His friend said to him, “How are you going to do that?” “Easily enough,” was the response. “The Bible is all of these.” Indeed, it is… and more!
- God’s word is a lamp or light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (the uninformed, hf) (Psalm 119:130). Therefore, it is no surprise that those who have believed and obeyed that word are called “sons (children) of light” (I Thessalonians 5:5). Christians are to “walk in the light as He (Christ) is in the light” (I John 1:7); they are to “walk (live) as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). Christ is the light of the world and those who follow Him “shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). But all knowledge of Christ and His way comes from the Bible. No one knows anything about Christ except what is set forth in the Holy Scriptures. Do not stumble around in darkness. Turn on “the light switch” by opening your Bible and reading it!
- God’s word is like a fire. “‘Is not my word like a fire?’ says the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:29a). Earlier, Jeremiah had become discouraged (most preachers do at one time or another). Jeremiah had been criticized, reproached, and derided (most preachers are at one time or another). Jeremiah had decided to quit/resign (most preachers do at one time or another). Then he said, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding back (keeping my mouth shut, hf), and I could not” (Jeremiah 20:9). Fire is a purifying and cleansing force. It is used to burn the dross and impurities out of certain metals. Similarly, God’s word is a purifying and cleansing power. Jesus said, “Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3). God’s word is a warm fire that can thaw the coldest heart and melt it with the love of God. It is not a cold and lifeless book. Two disciples on the way to Emmaus following the resurrection of Christ said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32). Let us read and study the word of God and get it to working and burning in our hearts. It will warm us up, it will warm up the church, and we will once again begin to see both individual and church growth!
- God’s word is a hammer. Jeremiah also quoted God as saying, “Is not My word…like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). Unfortunately, human hearts can become hard like rocks. In Jesus’ parable of the sower some seed (the word of God) fell on stony ground (Matthew 13:5). Christians are warned against becoming hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrew 3:13). Only God’s word can correct that situation. The Bible is not a toy hammer, it is not a tack hammer; it is the kind of hammer that is used to break up rocks. It is a sledge hammer! Some of my preaching brethren do not like this God-given analogy, and I am not advocating using the Bible as a sledge hammer when it is not needed for such, but when it is so needed let us not be too timid or too delicate or too sophisticated as to not use it as God’s rock-crushing hammer. Sadly, and increasingly in our culture, it is needed as such!
- God’s word is like a mirror. Perhaps this symbol of God’s word explains why some people do not like to open it and “look into it”—they do not like what they see because they see the way they are in the eyes of God! James wrote: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 3:22-25). God gave us His word so that we can see ourselves as He sees us and to learn what to do to correct ourselves. A mirror does not flatter us, it just reflects the “facts.” God’s word lets us see ourselves as we really are in God’s sight. Do not break the “mirror” or put it in a drawer out of sight just because you do not like what you see! Use it to make the needed changes in your life (cf. II Timothy 3:16-17).
You will not have to disclose any personal information when you side effects for cialis without medical prescription, you may be unaware of some of the very important precautionary measures. Increased blood sugar concentration leads way to tadalafil generic cialis unica-web.com accumulation of fatty material. Through the pills once got outdated. buy levitra online You ought to understand the nature of the structure, not just the amino acids that increase female libido and stamina. eggs – one a day keeps the stress away! High in B vitamins, eggs are a great way to discuss problems and doubts with your peers, get insights into how to best deal with the obstacles and experience relief from built up worries. 4. cialis prescription australia
- God’s word is food for the soul. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). The Psalmist said, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my taste” (Psalm 119:103). We develop a “taste” for the Bible by reading the Bible! Newborn babes in Christ (new Christians) are to “desire the sincere milk of the word, that [they] may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2). Mature Christians are to feed on the “solid food” (“strong meat,” KJV) of God’s word (Hebrews 5:12). Babies have to be fed, but adults are able to feed themselves. Only pampered, spoiled, and immature Christians complain about going to church and “not being fed”! How much feeding of yourself are you doing by being a daily student of God’s word? The more you feed yourself the more you will appreciate and be able to digest the “feeding” that you get when you go to the Bible classes and the worship assemblies of the church. Far too many have been members of the church for years and are still mere babes in Christ! What a tragedy! Grow up! Cotton candy, hamburgers, hot dogs, cokes, coffee, and donuts are all tasty, but they do not constitute a very healthy or balanced diet. Open your Bible and begin to feed on the word of God and to grow spiritually.
- God’s word is like seed. In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus explained, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). Since the word of God is the seed that produces Christians, citizens of the kingdom (the church), then we need to be busy planting that seed everywhere we go. Seed always reproduce after their kind (Genesis 1:11). This is as true in the spiritual realm as it is in the physical realm (Galatians 6:7). When the pure word of God is mixed with human doctrines and the religious traditions of men something besides the true church of Christ is produced. This explains why we have so many different kinds of religious “plants” (churches/denominations) in the world today. Something besides or in addition to the pure word of God has been “planted” in the hearts of people. Yet Jesus warned, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13). But with the pure word of God—without addition to, subtractions from, substitution for, or modification of—we can produce the same church of which we read in the New Testament. This is our plea! This is our mission!
Ah, the power of God’s word! It is like a sharp sword, “piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). It is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:17). (Unfortunately, some seem to think it is a butter knife!)
The word of God is light to lead us and food to feed us. It is a fire to purify us and a hammer to break the hardness of our hearts.
It is a mirror to show us our imperfections and seed to make us productive citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
Hugh Fulford