February 18
Bob Hoekstra
The word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance . . . The word of the truth of the gospel . . . is bringing forth fruit . . . faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Act_20:32, Col_1:5-6, and Rom_10:17)
These three scriptures, interspersed in our previous meditations, indicate how God wants to use His word to impact us with His grace. The first passage describes God's word as "the word of His grace." God explains His grace to us through His word. He offers his grace to us through His word. He works His grace within us as we are nurtured in His word, trusting in what the Lord has to say to us. As God's word is taken into our lives, its capabilities are unleashed, demonstrating that it is "able to build you up and give you an inheritance." Those who believed at Thessalonica had such an experience with the scriptures. "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe" (1Th_2:13).
The second passage declares that the word can produce fruitfulness in God's people. "The word of the truth of the gospel . . . is bringing forth fruit." Such fruit is the consequence of spiritual life maturing within us. Jesus taught that this life is brought to us by His word. "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (Joh_6:63). The word of the Lord brings this life to us initially: "Having been born again . . . through the word of God which lives and abides forever" (1Pe_1:23).God's word then nurtures the life it originally brought to us: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1Pe_2:2).
The third passage gives insight on faith, which is a vital element of living by grace. As we have seen, faith accesses grace. "We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." (Rom_5:2). Here in the third scripture, we are told how faith develops in our lives. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." As we humbly receive God's word into our lives, our faith in whatever He is proclaiming can be growing.
In light of these grand truths concerning the scriptures, we would be wise to cultivate the same perspective of essentiality that Job had toward God's word. "I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12).
O Lord of grace and truth, thank You for giving us Your word, which is grace and truth. Forgive me, Lord, for not cherishing Your word as highly as I should. Everything that Your word can do, I am unable to do on my own. I cry out earnestly to You. Please work in me a deepening hunger for Your living and eternal word, in the name of Jesus, Amen.
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