Day 1: The Word

The apostle Paul encouraged young Timothy, “Remember what you were taught from your childhood from the Holy Scrolls which can impart to you wisdom to experience everlasting life through the faith of Jesus, the Anointed One! God has transmitted his very substance into every Scripture, for it is God-breathed. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you.” (The Passion translation)

I once taught that there are 2 types of life insurance, term life and whole life. In order to experience term life we have to die. Whole life on the other hand can be drawn upon right now. With term life we invite Jesus into our lives and do many of the right things (ie. read a devotional, go to church, fellowship, and wait for Jesus to return to fully experience the policy). Jesus invites us to convert that policy over to whole life and start experiencing the policy right now. We may ask, “How?” I want to experience God, but how. The answer is very simple, through His Word and letting Jesus come alive. After all, Jesus is the living word. John 1:1 says “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (ESV). It is often said that the Old Testament points forward to Christ and the New Testament points in the present tense, to Christ. 

As we look at the promises to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and the prophets we see and experience Jesus. Yet, there are times when the Bible can feel a bit dry, but we must not depend upon our feelings, for it is the living Word of God that imparts wisdom and if we will let it, everlasting life right now. One example is the genealogy of Jesus. A few of the names stick out such as Adam, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Other names such as Mahalaleel, Cosam, and Joda are just names, and if I am not careful I just scan over them and move to what I consider there real meat of the Word. Yet, every name in that genealogy has a purpose. Every one of them were real people that God would keep His promise of the redeemer of Israel and the grafted-in vine of the Gentiles. Each name represents a family in the lineage of Jesus and family matters to God. Because God was faithful in the darkest of times (or forgotten times) we know He is and will be faithful in our darkest of times. All of that can be gleaned from the genealogy of Jesus.

Will you join me in drawing from God’s word on the path of wisdom, experiencing Jesus, correction, instruction, leading and holiness as we draw God’s Word into our hearts?