While God’s Word is not like a magic wand, it does have the power, when applied by the Holy Spirit, to give a new dimension to your mind and emotions and also to your will. Have you lacked the willpower to stay on a diet, conquer a bad habit, or develop disciplines necessary for character? Until I began to receive God’s Word daily, I never had the willpower to get up early in the morning for a time of prayer. I lacked what has been called “blanket victory” – victory over those blankets in the early-morning hours! But God has given my will an added dimension so that I am now able to do what I formerly could not.
Does your life feel confined? Do you sometimes have the uneasy feeling that something is missing, that there must be something more to life than what you are experiencing? That you are not fulfilling your potential? Then open your heart and mind to God’s Word and ask Him to give your life an added dimension.
The winter sheepfolds were located in the barren, rocky Judean hills. Each one was used by several shepherds who kept their flocks in the fold during the night for safety. The fold would have had high stone walls accessed by one strong, wooden door. It had no roof. One of the shepherds would act as the watchman at the door, staying inside the fold with the sheep all night, guarding against thieves, wild animals, and anything else that might harm the sheep. In the morning, the authentic shepherds of the sheep would come to the door and identify themselves. The watchman would open the door, then each shepherd would call out his own sheep by name. One by one, his particular sheep would separate from all the others in the fold and follow him out to graze the Judean hills for the day.
You and I, as God’s “sheep,” can determine the authenticity of the shepherds by their approach to us. The criterion for the authentic shepherd is that he or she always approaches through the door of God’s Word.
When have you totally misunderstood God’s Word?
When He said, “Love one another,”
did you think He meant to tolerate sin? (1 John 4:7)
When He said, “in all things God works for the good,”
did you think that every story has a happy ending?
(Rom. 8:28)
When He said, “I will surely bless you,” did you think that He
would make you healthy, wealthy, happy, and problem free? (Heb. 6:14)
Isn’t it amazing how we can misinterpret what He says? Listening carefully to what God says is important, because if we misunderstand what He is saying, we set ourselves up for disappointment, discouragement, and disillusionment.
So . . . would you be quiet and listen with your eyes on the pages of your Bible? Listen for His still, small voice to whisper to your heart through His Word.
In what area of your life do you need illumination? Discouragement about the future and the direction we have chosen, depression over the lack of fulfillment in our lives, or disillusionment by our previous attempts to find meaning for life through organized religions can all plunge us into the darkness. Do you ever wonder,
“What is the meaning to my life?”
“Why is genuine happiness so elusive?”
“Why do I feel guilty?”
“Why do I feel afraid?”
“Is there a God?”
“Is there life after death?”
God’s written Word and the answers we find there turn our darkness into light. God’s Word “is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” So . . . follow the light!
Sometimes when we are depressed, we feel lifeless. It’s hard to get out of bed in the morning. We seem to have no energy to do even the most routine functions. If you are depressed by the greatness of your problems, read God’s Word! That’s where you find help. That’s where you find joy. Let the rushing waters of the living Word drown out all other sounds and voices. There is life-giving power in the Word of God!
At the most difficult times in my life – the loss of a baby, the forced removal from a church, the execution of a friend, the robbery of our home – God’s Word has sustained me. There have been times when I have only been capable of reading a few verses at a time, yet the supernatural life-giving power of the Word of God has not only helped me maintain my emotional and mental balance, it has given me strength to go on, even if only one day at a time.
