Have you ever started putting a shelving unit together, looked at the pictures in the instructions, said to yourself, simple enough, and then proceeded to toss the instructions aside? Then, twenty minutes later, you’re looking for them because you have too many screws or that part doesn’t connect to where “it’s supposed to?” We wouldn’t have a problem putting the thing together if we just started with the instructions. Now, it’s true that some instructions are poorly written but let’s ignore that for the sake of this great illustration.
The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path1. The Scriptures correct us, encourage us, and are the roadmap for righteous living2. Our problems arise when we don’t follow the word of God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 6 In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”
The only way we can trust in the Lord is to know what He says in His Word. Even when we do not understand what God is asking of us, we have promises we can rely on. Abraham was asked to sacrifice the son of promise. That didn’t make logical sense, yet look at how Abraham pressed forward.
Genesis 22:5-8 TLV ” Abraham said to his young men, “Sit yourselves down here with the donkey. As for me and the young man, we’ll go over there, worship and return to you.” 6 Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on Isaac his son. In his hand he took the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. 7 Then Isaac said to Abraham his father, “My father?” Then he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Look. Here’s the fire and the wood. But where’s the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” The two of them walked on together.”
Abraham told the men with him that he and his son would come back – that is faith. When Issac asked where is the lamb? Abraham responded God would provide – a statement of great faith; when most of us would be overwhelmed with fear, doubt, and unbelief, Abraham pressed forward in faith. God provided a ram because Jesus is the ultimate lamb. Hebrews says that Abraham received Issac risen from the dead in a figure!3 Wow, Abraham was a man who walked in full assurance of the promise of God!
This is how we should all walk in the Word. But too many times, we find ourselves walking out of step. Moses knew the covenant sign of circumcision, yet in Exodus 4:24-26, God got mad at Moses for not having yet circumcised his son. Before the new generation could go in to possess the land, all the males had to be circumcised. For forty years, Israel did not obey the covenant. New kings had to arise throughout Israel’s history and reinstitute the Feast of Passover. Before we point the finger at Israel, how often are we out of step with the Word of God? How often do we allow doubt, fear, and unbelief to creep in and steal away our faith in the promise of God?
In Ephesians chapter six, we are told to stand, continue to stand, and stand therefore. Faith is a standing fight. My mom once had a sign that said when you’re too weak to stand, kneel. I saw that and said, “get rid of it, that’s not biblical.” yes, that’s an inspirational saying, but it’s not biblical. Scripture says strengthen your feeble knees4. Ephesians six doesn’t say kneel; it says stand firm! Scripture declares, “let the weak say I am strong5.” You can pray standing up!
It’s time to get in a Word-based mindset, and Pentecost is the perfect time to do that! As we celebrate the giving of the Torah to Moses, let us recommit ourselves to being people of the Word. Let us recommit ourselves to being strengthened with the Word of God. Let us take up the sword of the Spirit. The sword there is the Word of God, and the word is Rhema, which means an “individual Scripture which the Spirit brings to remembrance for us in times of need. A prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.6“
Words on a page can’t save us, words on a page won’t deliver us, words in our spirit coming out of our mouth is a sharp double-edged sword. We must speak the Word for it to produce results. Jesus defeated temptation by saying it is written; we win the same way.
It’s time to get back on the Word of God; it’s time to believe, and because we believe, we speak. It’s Pentecost – it’s time to receive the Word, walk in it, and watch it produce results!
- Psalm 119:105
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:3
- Hebrews 11:17-19
- Job 4:4, Hebrews 12:12-13
- Joel 3:10
- The Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary; Greek, Word, 2. Rhema, paragraph two.
Casey D. Bell 