This article is part of our series on The Power of Words. Words have always had the power to create life or to create death. Just like sticks and stones can break our bones, words can also break our spirit and our communion with God and others. Our hope is that this series will encourage and enable you to speak life-giving words to others by being rooted deeply in God’s Word. Read previous articles in this series here:
- “Sticks and Stones and Words that Hurt” by Gretchen Saffles
- “Speaking from the Overflow” by Jessica Mathisen
- “Winning the War” by Maggie Combs
- “Building Others Up” by Fernie Cosgrove
- “Words Online” by Abbey Wedgeworth
Solace in Every Circumstance
Through many challenging seasons of life, I’ve sought solace in the Psalms. When my emotions overwhelm me, the God-inspired words of the psalmists are quick to soothe my soul by speaking directly to my heart and comforting my spirit. As I read, I often find myself quietly rejoicing that the living, breathing Word of God sees and understands me so completely. So when I recently opened my Bible to Psalm 119 in the midst of a challenging season, I wasn’t surprised when God met me on the pages. Over and over again, he reminded me that his Word is completely sufficient in every circumstance and season:
- In sorrow, his Word is my comfort: “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life” (v. 50).
- In joy, his Word is my delight: “In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches” (v. 14).
- When I'm in darkness, his Word is my light: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (v. 105).
- And in weakness, his Word is my strength: “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!” (v. 28).
Ultimately, these truths found in Psalm 119 brought me to my knees and reminded me that God’s Word is so much more than black ink on thin white pages.
Words Within Our Reach
And yet, I often find myself leaving this powerful collection of life-giving words closed on my nightstand. This is a tragedy which grieves the God who longs to reveal himself to me page-by-page.
The honest truth is that I often search the world for the things God has already given me through his Word. I ask my friends and my husband to be my delight, my bank account to be my lifeboat, and my Google searches to be the lamp that lights my path. I search for strength within myself and look for comfort anywhere I can find it. All while everything I need sits waiting for me within arm’s length.
Can you imagine the way God’s heart breaks to see us floundering while a life preserver waits within our reach?
God’s Word is like a lifeboat, preserving us through the tumultuous storms of life here on earth.
It’s like a lamp, steadily lighting the path in front of us with sure-footed wisdom.
His Word is like a sunny day, warming our hearts with the shine of delight.
It’s like a gift waiting to be unwrapped daily, revealing the treasures of the gospel.
It’s like a cool glass of water, refreshing the dried-up places of our souls.
Search and Find Him
I once told a mentor over a cup of coffee that I simply wanted to know Jesus more. She smiled and flipped open her Bible to the first chapter of John’s Gospel. After she read aloud, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (v. 14), she asked me who “the Word” was referring to in this chapter. I knew the answer quickly—"Jesus!” I exclaimed. Then she graciously connected the dots for me by explaining, “Because Jesus is the Word, saying you want to know Jesus more is the same as saying you want to know the Word more. Know the Word more, and you will know Jesus more.”
And the same truth applies to those who claim to love Jesus but have not cultivated a love for the Word. You cannot love Jesus and ignore his Word because that’s who he is!
Dear friends, Jesus is our one true hope, and his Word is where we find him. Through every letter of every word on every single page, he is revealing himself in all his glory. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh, and when he comes back riding on clouds, his name shall be called The Word of God (Rev. 19:13). So search the Word and find him, sister! And if you find yourself lacking passion when it comes to the Word of God, open your Bible to Psalm 119 and stand in awe of its marvelous power to sustain us through every circumstance and season.
Your Friend, Taylor
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Thank you so much for the reminder that to read and meditate God’s word is to know Jesus in a more intimate way. The picture of the well-read, marked up Bible really speaks to me as my Study Bible is held together with tape, full of notes, and colored tabs…representing decades of God encounters that I could never replicate.
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