A five-day devotional that reminds us that the word is active. The Bible is God’s word in action. Through the Scripture we can reflect on God’s faithfulness and all that has been accomplished through the Word of God.
Seasons Collective
Day 1
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16
“The Word is Alive”
Big Idea:
We live in the information age, and technology has afforded people from every background access to information with one click of a button. This generation is considered “the most well-informed” generation of any era, and we read things on our phones, laptops, and desktops. We gather information from social media platforms, books, articles, and even billboards and signs. Even though it is helpful to receive information from various networks, these multiple methods of communication were written by man and inspired by man. However, when we open the Bible, it was written by man but inspired by God.
In 2 Timothy 3:16, the phrase “God’s word” derives from the Greek word theo-pneustos. This is translated as “God-breathed.” The Greek root word pneo is used for breath, wind, or Spirit, which is considered an extension of God’s will, formed out of His Spirit, in written form. Human authors put the words to the paper within their philosophical perspectives and styles, but it is just that, words. But the Bible is more than words because the ultimate source of this information is not human but divine. The Word of God changes our distorted human perceptions. It alerts us to attitudes filled with pride, all while revealing false presumptions. God’s word highlights the consequences of sin by warning us of the dangers of sinning and reassures us what is needed for a life of godliness. Through the Word of God, we are illuminated with the truth of the gospel.
Reflection:
Information may give you knowledge, but we should desire wisdom from the Scripture to understand how we should use what we know.
Personal Reflection:
Do you want to go deeper into the treasure that is God’s word? Choose three Scriptures that you will meditate on this week.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, your word is true. Show me how to study your word. Your word is wisdom; it teaches, corrects, convicts, trains, and equips me for the kingdom’s work. Today, may I hunger and thirst for your word. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen!
Day 2
Scripture: Matthew 24:35
“Trusting in Every Word”
Big Idea:
Over the last year, many of us have lived through what have been some of the most challenging circumstances. At times the world has felt as if it were spinning out of our control. If you can relate to that feeling, this Scripture comes in the form of hope, a promise from God. In this verse, after describing events of the future, Jesus is reassuring His followers that His words are reliable and cannot be halted in any way. In times like this, it is easy to believe that the words from the Scripture only pertained to the characters mentioned in the Bible and are not available to us today, but we should never attempt to dismiss the words of Christ by saying, “yes, but that was way back then….” Many people have experienced loss in so many ways, but today we are reminded that, although circumstances may change based on what is happening in the world, the Word of God can and has sustained us all even in the darkest of times.
In Matthew 24:35, Jesus is making it known that His word carries the weight of eternal glory. The truth is personified through His words that carry the authority of His father, and the Word of God will endure. Whatever He has said in His word is true, and even now, when it may not look like it, you can trust that He is faithful. Everything else may fade away, but the Word of God does not change; it will never fail. Through this verse, we are reminded that what he has promised shall inevitably be fulfilled because the Word of God is unchanging, trustworthy, and more permanent than even the heavens and the earth. The word was there when at the beginning (John 1:1), the word was present with Jesus when He walked the earth, and it is the promise of His immutable word that will oversee the future of those that He loves.
Reflection:
In this current climate, you may have been feeling the weight of the difficult times, but today feel rest in the promises of God’s word.
Personal Reflection:
What has been an area of difficulty this year? What promise were you reminded of today?
Today I receive the truth of God’s word and I will trust him with _____________________.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, you are sovereign. Forgive me for the times where I have viewed your word as ancient text and stories that happened for people in the Bible by dismissing the supremacy of Your word in my life today. God, I want to love your word. Please show me how to read, study, memorize, and meditate on your word and make it central to my life. I will cherish your word and hide it in my heart. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen!
Day 3
Scripture: Psalms 119:105
“Your Word is Guiding Me”
Big Idea:
Have you ever walked into your home at night, and it was so incredibly dark that you needed the assistance of the cell phone light? The light from your cell phone affords just enough light to illuminate the path, as it reveals the direction they should go. Not too long ago, I walked into my house at night and made the costly mistake of believing that I did not need the assistance of light because I was familiar with my home. I thought that I could make it through my house unharmed. Well, I learned a lesson about the importance of the guidance of light. I began to walk through the house and “boom”! Unbeknownst to me, someone had left a chair in a place where it did not belong on this particular night, so I tripped over the chair and injured my leg. I still have the scare to this day. Although a cell phone flashlight does not produce an excessive amount of light, it could have provided me just enough light to luminate my pathway so that I could have made it through my home unharmed.
Similarly, our passage through the sometimes dangerous and dark journey of this life is lit by the Word of God. But how many times have we been guilty of going through life without the assistance of God’s Word leading us on the journey of life because we neglect that intimate time with God? As the children of light (Eph. 5:8), the phrase “the Bible is a lamp unto our feet” implies that the light is not illumined enough to see the end of the path, but it is only sufficient for the subsequent step. God’s word is designed to be a step-by-step guide for living. God’s word guides us in wisdom to transform our thinking, gives Godly instructions on how to live as the Lord desires us to live, guides our journey through life and warns each of us of danger that may be nearby. Through the Word of God, we are given guiding principles for our Christian walk. At each step, the darkness is lifted before us, and every crooked path is straightened.
Reflection:
Many of us have endured the outcomes of an unilluminated path because of the absence of God’s word to guide us in our daily living, but today you have the opportunity to resolve that you will spend time in God’s word so that it will ignite your path.
Personal Reflection:
How might you live differently today? Create a plan, time, or schedule to spend time in the word of God this week.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, I admit that sometimes I struggle with being consistent with reading your word and allowing your word to guide me in the principles of Christ. I know that I need your word daily because I must receive the proper guidance and provision that is only found in Your word. Through your word, light my path like only you can do and give me your guidance. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, AMEN!
Day 4
Scriptures: Isaiah 40:8, 2 Samuel 22:31, John 1:1
“With Your Word I’ll Stand”
Big Idea:
I have a newfound love of plants, and in my home! We have what we call “The Garden Room.” I love my plants; yet, I left town for almost two weeks, and when I arrived back home from out of town, all of my beloved plants were brown, drooping, and a couple had even died. A few are still recovering from my trip. Like my withering plants, the author of Isaiah used shriveled grass and wilted flowers to elucidate the evanescent nature of mans’ life. Then it compared the infallibility of God’s infinite word, with the fleeting characteristics of grass and flowers, but unlike my plants that withered and has lost their beauty, objects in nature, and entities in the world around us that are fading, this word is the secure foundation that undergirds our lives.
The phrase “word of our God” refers to God’s word of promise and how it stands regardless of everything that may be fleeting around us. This year, amidst some of the most devasting losses, all the changes on earth, sickness, and diseases, the word of God has sustained us. It has stood against war, successions of dynasties, over centuries, and it is standing even now. The Word of God remains the same, and His promises are unfailing. The word never changes!
Reflection:
The Scripture reminds us that nothing will remain as it is today, and it is an opportunity to apply the infinite Word of God to our lives. The world around us is feeble and frail, the transitory impermanence of all humanity, yet the Word of God is steadfast and secure, and as believers, we can stand on that fact.
Personal Reflection:
Today focus on the value of the wonder of God’s word and spending time in it. Meditate on 2 Samuel 22:31; and John 1:1.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, Today, more than ever, I acknowledge that I need your word. I do not want to go through my days without the assurance of Your word. Your word is reliable and eternal. I am thankful that your word is a rock that I can stand on today, tomorrow, and forever and ever. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, AMEN!
Day 5
Scripture: Hebrews 4:12
“The Power of God’s Word”
Big Idea:
My children are fascinated with animals, and from watching various shows about animals, I realized that many animals abandon their children after giving birth. Some animals leave their children at parturition for many reasons, from not having enough nutrition to feed the whole litter to the scent given off to predators, the list goes on. For the reasons mentioned above and many others, they abandon that which they have created. However, God is our creator, and He loves us so much that he has not left us alone to figure out life on our own. He has given us his word to guide us, direct and penetrate the depths of who we are so that we may be transformed from the inside out.
The word used in Hebrews 4:12 is logos, translated as “words,” meaning the living Word of God, the habitual thought of Scripture as a direct divine utterance espoused throughout the Bible. Thus, God is acting through His word among us, and it is sharper than any two-edged sword, which means that it can get below the surface and beyond what is superficial to penetrate the depths of our being. The sharpness of God’s word brings each of us to face such depths, and it is powerful, kind, loving, encouraging, and gives wisdom, but it also convicts, comfort, and conforms us into Christ’s likeness, as the searcher of the hearts to continuously conform us to His image.
Reflection:
Through this Scripture, we come to understand that God is speaking to us through His Word, and when we read it daily in private worship and the gathering of believers, it becomes activated as the living word.
Personal Reflection:
Are you daily equipping yourself through the power of His word by reading it, studying it, memorizing it, meditating on it? Write a personal affirmation based on the Scriptures that you have been meditating on this week.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, Help me to experience the fullness of your word. Would you please help me to make it applicable to my life? Your word is living and active today, and it is speaking to me. I pray for people who do not know your word. Give me opportunities to share the gospel revealed in your word that transforms and renews life. I pray that you would show the power of your word to penetrate hearts and to change lives. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, AMEN!