By Joy Haney
There is nothing more powerful than the word of God, for the word of God is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (John 1:1). “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The word of God is effective any way you use it. There is no wasted motion. It is electrifying power in action.
Let the church become more aware of the power of the word of God. The Bible is without question the inspired word of God, even though there are those who are ignorant enough to question it. When Voltaire, the noted 18th century French philosopher, said that it took centuries to build up Christianity, but that he would show how one Frenchman could destroy it within fifty years, he made a bold, but regrettable statement. After having tried to squelch the truth of Jesus Christ during his lifetime, just before his death he swore, “I wish I had never been born.”
Napoleon said, “A man is not a man without God. I saw men without God in the reign of terror in 1793. One does not govern such men; he shoots them down.” ‘That is a strong statement, but what he was saying was that men who do not know God have no conscience and they become as animals. It is best to believe and grow into Christ-likeness, instead of not believing and debase into corruptness.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, believed. After the angel made the profound statement, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37), Mary confessed her faith. “And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; he it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). The angel being on a mission from God was giving Mary the word of God, and Mary chose to believe.
The word always works! The people were astonished many times by the power of the spoken word of Jesus. When Jesus rebuked a demon, “…they were all amazed, and spate among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Luke 4:38). “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick” (Matthew 8:16).
The confidence of many was placed in the power of Jesus. When a centurion went to Jesus and asked Him to heal his servant, he showed faith by expressing that Jesus did not need to come in person. He said, “…say in a word, and my servant shall be healed” (Luke 7:7). When Jesus heard him speak about the authority he had and how he believed Jesus had authority, “Jesus… marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel” (Luke 7:9). When they returned to the house, the servant was healed. Jesus just sent His word. That is all that was needed.
Over 100 years ago, William Ramsay, a young English scholar, went to Asia Minor with the expressed purpose of proving that the history given by Luke in his gospel and in the Acts was inaccurate. His professors had taught over and over that Luke could not possibly be right.
He began to dig in the ancient ruins of Greece and Asia Minor, testing for ancient terms, boundaries, and other items which would be a dead giveaway if a writer had been inventing this history at a later date as claimed. To his amazement, he found that the New Testament scriptures were accurate to the tiniest detail. So convincing was the evidence that Ramsay himself became a disciple of Christ and a great biblical scholar. Sir William Ramsay’s books are still considered as being a classic as far as the history of the New Testament is concerned.
The Bible is true. It is not only for one generation, but it is for every generation. It is “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He still heals, answers prayer, delivers, and sets the captive free.
He has not change only sophisticated mankind has has. When there is faith anything is possible.
Word faith is powerful. When Peter had fished all night and the fish barrels were empty, he and his crew were very discouraged, Along comes the Word made flesh: Jesus. Jesus told Peter the secret to getting the fish was to let the net down on the right side. Peter said, “Master, we have toiled all the night; and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). When they allowed the words of Jesus, the ingathering of fish was so great that the net broke. They hollered to their partners in other ships and said, “Come and help us.” They filled both ships and they both began to sink. Then Peter repented and asked the Lord to forgive him for doubting, for they were astonished about the great draught of fishes they had taken.
What changed? Nothing, except now the Word entered into the picture_ The Word changed everything. There is more power in the Word than a trillion sticks of dynamite. The word of God made the oceans, birds, animals, and firmament the word is God. It is highly exalted even above the powerful name. David pens these words: “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm 138:2).
When Hezekiah became king of Judah, the king of Assyria sent messengers to his kingdom. and tried to convince the people not to listen to Hezekiah because he was telling them to trust in the Cord. The messengers were questioning everything Hezekiah had said. They said, “Let not Hezekiah deceive you. Neither let Hezekiah make you trusting the Lord, for Hezekiah will persuade you and say, The Lord will deliver us.”
When word got back to King 1-lezekiah what was being said, he rent his clothes, fell on his face and called on the Lord. The prophet Isaiah got wind of all this and sent a word to King Hezekiah. “Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servant of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Be-hold., 1 will send a blast upon hurl, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land” (II Kings 19:6-7).
Hezekiah kept praying even after this word from the Lord because he had received a letter from the king of Assyria saying to him, “…Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee…” (II Kings 19:10). He went into the house of the Lord and spread the letter out and began to magnify God and ended up by asking, “Now therefore, 0 Lord our God, I beseech thee, save us out of his hand, that al the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only” (If Kings 19:19). The Lord answered again through Isaiah and said, “Thy prayer I have heard and I will defend this city.”
God always gets the last word. He will not be mocked forever. He is with those that put their faith in His word, Sin enough, as He spoke the first time and then the second time, His word came to pass. He sent one angel and smote the camp of the Assyrians. In the morning they were all dead corpses. One angel killed 145,000 men. God has more power than the whole earth. It is best not to challenge God. And yes, just as He had spoken the Id of Assyria was killed in his own land, by his own sons, wit the sword.
God’s word always comes to pass. We can believe it question it, or debate it, but it will never change. It is truth, every word of it, and man’s opinion is worthless if it is not in accord with it. His word shall always come to pass: Sometimes you have to wait on the Lord, but that does not mean God is not answering. He moves at His own speed; Remember: impatience is not faith.
When Solomon stood before the congregation of the children of Israel he blessed them saying, “Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant” (I Kings 8:56). Jesus never fails. He is faithful to what He promises in His Word.
The word cannot work properly, though, if we do not mix faith with it. There were those who did not enter into the rest because they did not believe. We were warned to believe, lest we lose out on all the promises. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2).
This article “Word Faith” written by Joy Haney is excerpted from her book Great Faith.
