INTRODUCTION
If there is a great man and you do not know that he is great, then you cannot show the respect, which he deserves. Before deciding how you are going to act with someone, you will be asking yourselves, the following questions: “Who is that person? What is his position in the society? Will I be affected in any way by this person? What can that person do? Will there by any direct consequences which would affect me by his actions and words? Who am I in relationship to him?” If you know the answers to this kind of questions, then you can easily decide how you are going to behave with that person.
Let us consider another example: A man holds a high position of power and authority in the society. Everyone would know how important that person is. But, if this person has small children who still don’t know about the world, then these children cannot understand the greatness of their father. They will only come to know the power of their father only when they grow up and become matured.
In a similar manner, we have the Holy Bible with us in which is written the Word of God. Our attitude towards the Word of God depends on what we know about it. Many people have their own Bibles. But very few know its value and give the proper respect it deserves. Many people do not know the value of the Word of God or the status it has with respect to the entire universe. They do not know the power and authority of the Word of God. The result is that the Holy Bible becomes just another house-hold item in their house.
But, when we know what the Word of God really is, when we stop behaving like those children who cannot understand the value of their father in the society, then we will know the real greatness of the Holy Bible which we hold in our hands. In this message, I want to tell you of the greatness of the Word of God, so that you will begin to treat it in a way which it rightly deserves.
If you already know the value of the Word of God, then this message will remind the things which you already know, so that you can exalt the Word of God in your heart along with me to the Glory of God. I want to tell you some things about the Word of God which reveal its greatness. We shall meditate on these, so that we will begin to exalt it and revere it with all our hearts.
1) EVERLASTING
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away”
- Matthew 24:35
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever”
- Isaiah 40:8
Just look at the night sky. You can see countless stars twinkling beautifully. Night after night, you can see them come without failing. You can observe every star to be at the same location on every night at a particular time. You might have been observing the stars since your childhood. Now you might be a grown-up person. If you had been a diligent observer since your childhood, then you should have wondered about the permanency of the stars. You have been watching them for a long time, but there is no change in them.
Even your father had seen the same stars in his childhood. Even your grand-father and his father had seen the same stars. Throughout the generations, man had been seeing the same stars. But, even these seemingly indestructible stars would eventually be destroyed. This great universe had been in existence since billions and billions of years. But this universe and everything in it will eventually be destroyed. People were overwhelmed by the unlimited space in which they exist. Scientists have found out that, even this great universe will eventually be destroyed. Lord Jesus had already told about this 2000 years back. Yes. This universe is not everlasting. It is not going to exist forever. Can you feel the seriousness of this fact? Just imagine what I am going to say:
You have been seeing a very big tree since the earliest days of your childhood, which you can remember. You have been seeing it daily. Suddenly, one day the tree had disappeared. You look at the same place where the tree was; but you cannot find it. It had been cut down. How would you feel then? You would remember the days when you played under that tree with your friends. You would remember the time when you sought protection and rest under that tree from the scorching heat of the sun. You would remember the time when you sat under the tree, just doing nothing and enjoying the surroundings. You would also remember the time crying alone under the tree when you were hurt. Remembering all these things, you would be shocked. You would become very sad.
If you are going to feel like this just for a tree on the road-side, then how would you feel if the entire universe is destroyed? And, the destruction of this universe is not a fiction. That is what is going to happen. Nothing is going to last forever. Your name or fame or accomplishments will be forgotten. Don’t put hope on anything to last forever. Only the Word of God is going to last forever. You might be trying very hard to earn fame, money, health, or satisfaction. But all these are temporary. Earn the Word of God. You too will last forever if you have the Word of God in you. But, if you do not have the Word of God within you, then, you will perish along with your name, fame, and money.
2) ACCOMPLISHES THE DESIRE OF GOD
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” – Isaiah 55:10,11
When God utters a word, it will be fulfilled. What ever God says, comes to pass. God created this great universe out of nothing. He did this by His word. When the word came forth out of His mouth, the universe came into existence. No matter how big or difficult a task is, it will be definitely accomplished when the Word of God comes forth out of His mouth. When God says something, it will definitely happen. It was like that in the past; it is like that in the present; and it will be like that in the future.
No man can keep his word always. Sometimes he may do that, but a lot of times he will fail. There were great men who vowed to accomplish great things. We, human beings, intend to accomplish many things, and speak about them, but we can only accomplish very few things. Many times we say, “No matter what may happen, I shall do this”, but not always can we keep such words. Which man can keep his word without the grace of the Almighty Lord?
We are weak. Our strength is so little, but we boast a lot. We talk very much about our accomplishments. We say, “Didn’t I tell you that I would do that. I have said beforehand that I would do that, and now I did it.” We delight in ourselves. We forget that no man can keep his word without the permission of the Lord. Only the Words of the Lord will come to pass always. The Word of God requires nobody’s approval before it can accomplish something. It is the highest authority. Whether a man can keep his word or not is dependant on many factors like his power, authority, riches, and relationships and so on. If everything works together, his words will be accomplished.
But the Word of God is not influenced by any factor. It is the highest authority. Once it comes forth out of the mouth of God, nothing is there in the existing universe which is able to hinder it or stop it from accomplishing the purposes for which it has been sent by God.
Remember that the Holy Bible which you have with you is full of the words, which came forth out of the mouth of God. Everything written in it shall come to pass. Nothing in the Holy Bible will remain unfulfilled. Do you have faith that all the words in the Bible will be fulfilled? Do you have faith that the Word of God will work in your personal life? Yes. It is there, waiting to accomplish the will of God concerning your life. Nothing can stop you from becoming what the Word of God says you will become. Have faith in the Word of God. The same Word which created the universe is with you now.
The Word of God is there to be accomplished. It will not return back to God in vain. Don’t treat the Bible without any respect. Everything in it shall come to pass. Believe this truth and exalt the Word of God in your heart. From this moment, change the attitude of your heart towards the Word of God. Don’t be ignorant of the Word of God. Know what is in the Bible by reading it, because everything which is in it is surely going to happen! Remove the confidence which you have in yourself or someone else or something, and shift it onto the Word of God. Every word shall fail, but, God’s Word will be accomplished. Only those desires and goals, which you have according to the Word of God will be accomplished. Remaining all will fail. So it is good for you to change your attitudes, actions, desires, and everything according to the Word of God. If you do that, you can be confident that you will never fail.
3) HEAVENS AND EARTH ARE CREATED AND BEING PRESERVED
“For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the Word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men”
– II Peter 3:5-7
“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” – Psalm 33:6
By the above verses from the Bible, we can understand that the Word of God created and preserves everything. The Word of God has the power to create. It also has the power to preserve. When God speaks His Word, things will be created – both physical and spiritual. We know that the Word of God created the entire universe out of nothing. Isn’t it wonderful?
If we see the human history, we can find that human beings have invented many new things i.e., they have created! They invented new medicines, rockets, computers, tools, robots, motor vehicles and so many other things. But, how were they able to invent all these things? Did the inventors of the first aero plane, the Wright Brothers, say, “Let there be an aero plane. It shall fly in the air,” and it came into being? Did any of the human inventions was spoken into existence? It is unimaginable, isn’t it? Behind every human invention, there is hard work, long hours of concentration, many initial failures, lot of patience, and determination. Human beings do not have the ability to speak something into existence. We cannot even create a drop of water by speaking out, “Let there be a drop of water.” Still we boast about our inventions!
But look at God. God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. God spoke and everything came into existence. God did not work hard or did not fail many times before creating this wonderful universe. He just spoke forth His Word and the Word created everything. The words written in the Bible have the same power and authority as those of the Words God spoke out to create this amazing universe. Even the Words in the Bible have the power to create. The Bible says, “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring Word of God (I Peter 1:23)”. We are born again through the Word of God. That means we are created anew by the Word of God. This is spiritual creation.
The Word of God created this material universe, and it can also create spiritual things. If the Word of God can create anew our whole spiritual beings, then it can definitely create love, happiness, peace, holiness, and prosperity in our lives. Your own words cannot create all these things.
The Word of God doesn’t only create everything but it also preserves everything. The Word of God is protecting this universe. It is holding up this universe. It is keeping the universe from destruction. See how powerful the Word of God is! The universe itself is very powerful, and to control it and protect it, needs infinite power. That power is supplied by the Word of God.
If a child is going somewhere you do not want him to go, you would stop him by force, by catching him with your hands. If he is rebellious, he will struggle in your hands. To control him in that situation you need to be a lot more powerful than that child. This is what the Word of God is doing to the universe. It is protecting the universe from destruction. The universe is at present in an ordinary, undisturbed form. If the Word of God stops protecting and controlling this universe, then all the order in the universe will disappear and only chaos will remain.
This same Word of God which is protecting the whole universe is here with you to protect you. It has the power to control all your life’s situations. It has the power to keep in order, everything in your life. Without the power of the Word of God, your life will be a chaos. The Word of God has the potential to control and direct your life, if you allow it to do so. Don’t see the Bible just as a book. It has the Word of God in it, which is so powerful. Don’t forget it. Keep this in mind and treat it in a way which it really deserves.
4) THE JUDGE
“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day”
– John 12:48
Here Lord Jesus is saying an amazing thing. The Word, which He spoke, is going to be the judge at the last day. The words, which Jesus spoke, had been written in the Holy Bible. That means, we are going to be judged according to the words written in the Holy Bible. Yes, the same Bible which you have known from your childhood, the same Bible which you have carried to Sunday worship service week after week, the same Bible which you have been reading (or may not be reading!) always, is going to be involved in the judgment on the last day.
If you don’t give respect to the Words written in the Holy Bible, you are in danger. The Words which Jesus spoke are spirit and life. The Judge is looking at you. It is seeing everything you are doing. In this world, no Judge is a witness. One person will be the Judge and another person will be the witness. If the Judge Himself is the witness, then the accusation against the accused will be very strong. The accused could not escape punishment in that case.
This is what exactly happens with the Word of God. The Word of God is the Judge and it is also the Witness. By reading the Word of God, you have made it your witness. Because, when you read it, it goes into your heart and reminds you of what to do and what not to do. While you are alive, the Word of God will be a witness in your case, and after you are dead, it will become your Judge.
A witness can only see and has no power to Judge. Therefore, the people are taking the Word of God lightly. Now they are not feeling its power as a Judge. But then, they are not even seeing it as a witness in their case. Are you aware that the Word of God is observing you? Are you aware that the Word of God will judge you? If the Government sends an official to check on you, how would you behave in front of that person? Wouldn’t you respect that person? God sent His Word to observe you. Yes. The Word of God is here on earth. It is not just a printed word in black, on a white paper. Those same words are the Spirit and life. Lift up your head. Look up. The Word of God is covering the earth to observe you and judge you. So, fear it.
5) EXCEEDINGLY BROAD
“I have seen a limit to all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad” – Psalm 119:96
When we look at this world, we can notice that it is not united. There are different kinds of government: Democratic, Monarch, Communist, Military and so on. There are different kinds of spiritual meditations like yoga and others. There are different kinds of religions. Then, there is science and technology.
But, the Word of God says that everything has its limit. The followers of yoga say that it is the best way to keep your body, mind, and spirit in perfect health and to get into contact with your Creator. Communists say that theirs is the best form of government. Our country, India is a democratic country. We say that democracy is the best form of government.
People are coming up with all kinds of teachings. Some say, “to achieve success, first you must visualize it. Know the power of visualization.” And, people get attracted to such kinds of teaching. Even Christians who possess the Holy Bible in their hands are eager to learn all these things. Christians want to develop their “personalities” and they attend “Personality Development Courses”, which are conducted by those who despise Christ. To my knowledge, the Holy Bible is the best “personality development course” available in this world. Each and every principle we develop for our lives should be grounded and rooted in the Word of God.
We need nothing outside the Bible. Every teaching has its limitations and defects. But, the Holy Bible has no limitations and is spotless. Christians should be proud to possess their Bibles. They should glory in their Bibles. They should be embarrassed of the worldly teachings and wisdom. But, exactly the opposite is happening. Christians are embarrassed to carry their Bibles. They get bored with their Bibles. If anyone comes to them and tells them about some new teachings they eagerly go to hear them. They glory in those teachings.
If they read a paragraph somewhere, which is very logically, clearly, philosophically, and wisely constructed, but, which is not at all from the Bible (and some times exactly opposite to what the Bible says), they get so impressed and mesmerized and they will be in a trance for some time thinking about that. But, if they read a sentence from the Bible (not purposefully, but by mistake on the road-side, or on a taxi!), they get so bored! Their aversion towards the Holy Bible, the very words of the One True Living God, is so great! They should repent. How about you? Do not be like those people. Know the value of the Holy Bible that is with you.
Whatever new teaching you may hear about, whatever new meditation you may hear about, you can be rest assured that the Holy Bible, which is in your hands contains the Word of God, which is far better and above than them. Give thanks to God for giving you the Holy Bible. Rejoice for having it. Glory in it.
6) THE WORD OF GOD IS MAGNIFIED BY GOD HIMSELF
“I will bow down toward Your Holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your Word according to all Your Name” – Psalm 138:2
Throughout this message, I have been giving you reasons about why we should give respect to the Word of God. The purpose of this message is to encourage you to show respect and reverence for the Word of God, by showing you how great it is. Until now, I have shown you five great features about the Word of God. Now, we come to the sixth and the last one. (There are many other great things about the Word of God, but I have only chosen to give you six of them).
Lastly, the reason why we should revere the Word of God is that, God Himself has magnified it. Joseph was nobody before the king of Egypt exalted him. He was despised even by his fellow prisoners! But after the king exalted him above everyone else in the kingdom, he was respected and feared. Even the chief of the military commander should honour and obey Joseph! What a difference! The only reason for this is that the king exalted him.
Likewise, God magnified His Word since eternity. This is the most important reason why we should honour the Word of God. The place you should give to the Word of God in your heart should be extremely high. That is what King David had done. That is why, he was called by none other than God, that he was a man after His own heart.
