Reading, Study, Power

Do you like to read?  I sure do!  I have fond memories of my Mom taking me to the Montgomery Village branch of the County Library in our home town when I was just a kid.  That particular branch is long gone today, but the memories of those weekly trips there with my Mom during the summer months will always remain with me! 

I would also bet that our kids would tell you of similar memories with their Mom.  This time though, it was the Coddingtown branch (which is still there… I think?) and it was every few weeks throughout the year as she homeschooled the kids.  I would chuckle every time I would see them come home with triumphant smiles on their faces walking up the driveway each with a grocery bag filled with books.  I guess there was a limit of about 12 or so books each and Piper always let them take their time and fill up to the maximum.

Over the last few years I have grown quite a collection of adventure novels (besides my personal library of Christian teaching books and Bibles).  I enjoy reading a few chapters when I lay down at night as it continues to help me to relax after a stressful day.  Many… in fact most of the books, I have read numerous times.  When I read a book for the first time, I tend to read through it fairly rapidly.  Then at a later date when I pick it up again, I’ll read at a slower pace and pick up all the little nuances that I may have missed the first time.  I do the same things with movies and it would drive our kids crazy as they got older.  “You want to watch that AGAIN?  DAD, do we have to!”

Over the years, I have also learned that this is not only a good practice but the PREFERRED practice when it comes to the book that was written by men of old who were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit… that being the Bible.  It was that very habit that got me successfully through the daily care of my sweet wife for the last nine years.

You see, the difference between the Bible and any other book that you read is that the words written down in your Bible are special words.  They are the living words of Christ.  John 1:1 tells us that the Word of God is one and the same with Jesus.  Then, a few verses down, the Apostle John further informs us that Jesus, the Word, is the source of light as well as the light for humanity! (See: John 1:4)  Pretty awesome wouldn’t you say?

I am always amazed during this time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Christ and I see in the written history of the event, that God made a point to establish the fact of the special significance and power of His Word in the very beginning stages of His plan of salvation.  When the angel appeared to the young girl Mary, he delivered God’s personal message to her and then reassured her that “with God nothing shall be impossible.” (Luke 1:37 KJV).  The literal translation of that statement actually declares that “No word from God shall be void of power.” (ASV)  Again, pretty awesome wouldn’t you agree?

The word “word” speaks not of the overall Word of God (Logos) but of the Rhema Word meaning “any sound produced by the voice and having definite meaning” (Thayer’s)  Robertson’s Word Pictures states that “Rhēma brings out the single item rather than the whole content (logos).”  Simply put, it is a word from God in His Word that you have studied out and He has given a special significance of it to you, for a particular situation, need or as an answer for a question in your life.

That’s why I read and re-read from my Bible everyday and have since Piper gave me my first Bible back in 1970… Granted, I can’t say that I got a lot of Rhema words from God back then, but the more I read (and re-read) the more I began to get!  It got to be a habit that I depended on and just sort of became second nature to me!  It was my regular personal study time in the Word and the multiple-time-a-day confession to Piper of the 100 plus healing scriptures* we had written down that I believe was the key source to Piper’s longevity and my ability and strength to make the tough decisions and at times (especially over the last 6 months) to be able to physically lift her and care for all her needs.

For me, anytime spend in God’s Word is like a cup of strong coffee and a quick workout on the treadmill (like I’ve started doing again lately)!  It not only kept (and now keeps) me focused on the goal but also picked me up physically, emotionally and definitely spiritually!  It is now an engrained habit.  I was telling one of my daughter’s the other day that I’ve done this for so long now, that I can’t IMAGINE starting a day without time spent with God in His Word. 

A good Pastor friend of mine told me last night that she doesn’t know of anyone who was so focused and driven in giving their spouse the exceptional care that I did. 

Statements like that always surprise and humble me at the same time.  As far as I am concerned, I was just doing what I believed I needed to do to care for the love of my life (or... I guess you could say for the life of my love!)  But I could never have done it without the power of God’s Word working in and through Piper and I.

I figure that if it was important enough for God to declare at the beginning of the New Testament Church Age, then it is important enough for me to continue in this time… a time that many Biblical scholars believe to be the last days…

What do you think?  Is it time for you to be AMAZED with the power of God working in your daily life?  Have a great weekend.  We are supposed to get our first snow fall beginning late Saturday night.  I’m actually kind of excited about it!  I’ll let you know how it goes… but until then, say with me… “I am expecting to release the POWER of God’s Word into my life today!”

*I didn’t read all 100 scriptures each time, but did confess a large sampling of them throughout each day.