Opinions, data, and information change minute to minute. In a world full of constant change, there is one thing that is unchanging. It is constant, It is – the Word of God. The Holy Bible is not an ensemble of stories, poetry and moral thoughts —it is His Word. Scripture was breathed out by God and it changes lives. Scripture is our authority, anchor, compass and light. God’s Word contains 66 books, written by 40 Holy Spirit inspired and directed men in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents, over a span of 1500 years. It is also one unified story of God’s redemptive plan of salvation, culminating in Jesus Christ. God’s Word is also active and living! The Bible is not merely an ancient text that has no relevance. The Word of the Lord speaks and teaches us to live out our faith. John Owen says it this way,
“The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.”
The Word That Speaks With Authority
God speaks. When He speaks, we must listen. Pause and reflect on how He has spoken. He spoke and created light(Genesis 1:3), His voice calmed the storm and raging sea (Mark 4:39), it was His voice that said, “Lazarus, come forth!(John 11:43). It is this same authority, which rules the universe, that gave us His Word.
Paul shares this with us in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV):
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible is divine truth that shapes the very foundation of our faith and it is what calls and instructs us to obedience. When we read His Word, God Himself is speaking to us.
How Does the Word Guide Us?
Let’s look at Joshua, who was called to lead Israel after Moses’ death. God did not put a sword, bow or map in his hands — He provided His Word.
In Joshua 1:8 (ESV), God commands:
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Everything Joshua needed to lead was found in God’s Word. This is where his courage came from. He faced many enemies, fear and doubt yet victory came not because of how strong Joshua was, but through His obedience to God’s Word. It was the Scriptures that guided his steps, strengthened his faith, and reminded him that God’s presence is accompanied with His promises.
This is how God is with us. The Bible is the living voice of God, that by His Spirit is leading us when we cannot see the way ahead and when our faith waivers.
The Transforming Word
The Psalmist said it this way:
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, ESV)
Without Scripture, we see nothing of the path that lays before us. With it, we see the way forward because we see the One who has ordered our steps. The Bible shows us sin and also reveals the Savior. It cuts deeply with truth and it heals completely. It is correction, and also comfort.
John Owen wrote that the Word: “conveys the mind of God to the souls of men.”
This is what makes Scripture alive—when you open your copy of the Word of God, He speaks.
Living Under the Word
Living under the authority of God’s Word means we believe it even when the world disagrees, to obey the Word even at a high cost and to trust it in every circumstance.
It means we submit to His Word, not argue with it. We do not study God’s word to become a master of it, but to be mastered by it and the God who gave it.
God’s Word does not ask us for validation—it calls for our unwavering allegiance and submission. The question for us is not, “Do you have God’s Word?” The question is, “Does God’s Word have you?” Does it shape your life? Are you driven to desire His Word and the instruction that comes from it?
Final Thoughts: Hold Fast to the Word
God’s Holy Word is so much more than pages and ink—it is the account of a Holy and Righteous God who had a plan of redemption for mankind before time began. God’s Word has withstood persecution, upheld apostles thrown in prison, and sustained believers through trials and tragedies.
We are the benefactors of the full revelation of God’s Word. Men and women have given their lives to the furtherance of the Gospel. So many have sacrificed much so we can have a copy of God’s Word. One of the glorious realities of God’s Word is that we have an account of His Son, and the Gospel that has been revealed to us. The writer of Hebrews tells us:
”Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Heb 1:1-4)
You see, God has spoken to us by His Son, revealing who He is and that our salvation is in Him alone. “The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation” is what the Apostle Paul declares. If you are a child of God, and possess the Holy Spirit, then the Word of God will shape you and sanctify you. Our prayer is that like Joshua, and the saints who have gone before, we will be a people who stand upon the Word of God. That we trust it, obey it and let it shape our lives in concert with the work of the Holy Spirit. May the evidence of change in our lives be clear, the conviction be strong and repentance and reformation be a daily practice.
“The Word of God is not given to make us clever, but to make us holy.” – John Owen