Thoughts for Life: The Power of the Word of God: Part 4 (last one)

R. A. Torrey: God's Word Has Power to Give Assurance of Eternal Life. "These things have I written unto you...that ye may know that ye have eternal life..." (1 John 5:13).

That is, the assurance of eternal life comes through what is "written." Suppose one has not assurance of salvation, what shall we do?

Tell him to pray until he gets it? Not at all. Take him to some such passage as John 3:36—"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."

Hold him right to that point until he takes God's Word for it, and then is sure that he has everlasting life because he believes on the Son, and because God says that "he that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life."

God's Word Has Power to Bring Peace into the Heart. In Ps. 85:8
we read: "I will hear what God the lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto His people, and to His saints...."

Many people are looking for peace today, longing for peace, praying for peace. But deep peace of heart comes from the study of the Word of God.

God's Word Has Power to Bring Fullness of Joy. In Jer. 15:11, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart...."

Clearly, then fullness of joy comes through the Word of God. There is no joy on this earth from any worldly source like the joy that kindles and glows in the heart of a believer in Jesus Christ as he feeds upon the Word of God, and as the Word of God is brought home to his heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God's Word Has Power to Bring Patience, Comfort and Hope. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4).

God's Word Has Power to Protect from Error and Sin. In Acts 20:29-32, the Apostle Paul warned the elders at Ephesus of the errors that would creep in among them, and he commended them, in closing, "to God and to the Word of His grace."

And the Word of God has not only power to protect from error, but from sin as well. In Ps. 119:11 we read: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee."

The man who feeds daily on the Word of God will be proof against the temptations of the devil. Even the Son of God himself met and overcame the temptations of the adversary by the Scriptures. To each of Satan's temptations, He replied, "It is written" (Matt. 4:4,7,10).

We cannot obtain power, and we cannot maintain power in our own lives, and in our work for others, unless there is deep and frequent meditation upon the Word of God.

It is well to bear in mind that precisely the results which Paul in one place ascribes to being "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18), he in one other place ascribes to letting "the Word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Col. 3:16)

To sum all up, anyone who wishes to obtain and maintain fullness of power in Christian life and service must feed constantly upon the Word of God. R. A. Torrey

[Taken from Herald of His Coming Newspaper, Vol. 75 No. 2 (890), p. 3, used by permission.]

(Google image and my emphasis added)

Let's pray-

Father, thank You for urging us today, to read Your Word each and every day, and for providing it for us to guide us through life.

There is hope in the Scriptures for our every need and question, and if we ask, You'll help us understand what we read there, so we can benefit from its teaching.

May we find that it will keep us from making mistakes, which can be harmful to body, mind and spirit.

We ask this in the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Today’s Bible verses-

(Rom. 4:21) "And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform."

(Ps. 119:114) "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."

(Ps. 119:130) "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

(Ps. 119:105) "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Today’s quote-

"I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible, every line and word, This proved meat indeed and drink indeed to my soul. I daily received fresh life, light and power from above."

George Whitefield

Our thought today-

For born-again Christians the new normal is to hear and follow the directions of the Holy Spirit for our acting, thinking and speaking. When we disobey, there's a "down" feeling, and we know we shouldn't have said or done something...we've actually grieved Him. (Eph. 4:30)

Our question today-

Will we/you listen and obey Him ?

Upcoming posts-

#41 How to Deepen Your Desire

10th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#42 The Dynamics of Fervency

12th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

The Lord Prepared a Way for Me

14th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes

Exemplary Christianity

15th- Sunday morning's post by James H. Cagle

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