sleeplessinpool
June 17th 2003, 01:47 PM
The living Word:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent.” Isaiah 55:11
Many Preachers, Sunday School Teachers and Evangelists who have faithfully laboured in teaching the Word of God, with very few visible results, have doubtless to say found real encouragement in promises such as the above. The particular promise we are considering is greatly enhanced by the use of the word “shall” four times, it also gives wonderful scope for us to exercise our faith.
We must always remember that we are not only expected to sow the good seed but also we are encouraged to anticipate a rich harvest, so believe that our work in this direction is not in vain if it is in the Lord. The promise given to us is “It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10) points out to us that as the rain sinks into the ground and stimulates the grain, resulting in seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way the Word of God, when it becomes assimilated into our minds it fashions our thoughts, moulds our character and brings about regeneration of life within.
It has a divine power about it and therefore produces a good effect in the lives of those who accept it. There is a wonderful passage in Psalm 119 that sums things up “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Of course on the other hand it is never “void” even when it is rejected by the hardest of sinners. It leaves them without excuse and even goes as far as sealing the condemnation. When you stop to think about it, gospel preaching to crowds of unrepentant sinners who turn down its offer of salvation can never be said to be a total waste of time, there is always and all wise purpose it even if we are unable to see it at the time! What a responsibility therefore rests on us who are called to present the truth with not only clarity and love but also with forcefulness!
But, how exciting it is to see this word taking root and bringing alive fruit in men’s lives! Its rare that I read books of testimonies, for some reason or another I fail to find them inspirational, however, for one reason or another I recently read of a Christian worker who gave a tract to a young man. As the worker handed over the tract he expressed the desire to see the young man saved. When the worker departed the young man threw the book in the fire, and as the pages of the book curled in the flames, his eyes fell upon the words, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35) As these words turned to ashes in the fire, they turned to a fire within his heart. And the result? He turned his life to Christ and went on to become a fruitful and committed believer.
There are piles and piles of testimonies like this that can be repeated thousands of times over. What a great move forward would be experienced in the Church if we gave more attention to “SPREADING THE WORD!!”. The Hebrew word “prosper” literally means “pushes forwards” , it’s a great dynamic force. We call the Bible the “Living word” because it is Gods book, it is the Word of His mouth. The Scriptures assert that God is profoundly and completely concerned for all humanity to read and accept it if they will.
It is very significant for us to make note of the way how at nearly every revival in Christian history there has always been before a sudden deep calling to study and apply the word of God, and incidentally, such a move, has always been inevitably followed by a proclamation of the truth. It is a healthy sign to see in the activities of the local church pre-eminence given to the scriptures. Blessed is the church of whom it can be said, “for from you is sounded out the Word of God”, this is the New Testament patter for progress. LET US BE FAITHFUL HERALDS OF THE LIVING WORD!
Speak soon folks and see you all next week on www.biblicalthoughts.org.uk
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent.” Isaiah 55:11
Many Preachers, Sunday School Teachers and Evangelists who have faithfully laboured in teaching the Word of God, with very few visible results, have doubtless to say found real encouragement in promises such as the above. The particular promise we are considering is greatly enhanced by the use of the word “shall” four times, it also gives wonderful scope for us to exercise our faith.
We must always remember that we are not only expected to sow the good seed but also we are encouraged to anticipate a rich harvest, so believe that our work in this direction is not in vain if it is in the Lord. The promise given to us is “It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10) points out to us that as the rain sinks into the ground and stimulates the grain, resulting in seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way the Word of God, when it becomes assimilated into our minds it fashions our thoughts, moulds our character and brings about regeneration of life within.
It has a divine power about it and therefore produces a good effect in the lives of those who accept it. There is a wonderful passage in Psalm 119 that sums things up “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Of course on the other hand it is never “void” even when it is rejected by the hardest of sinners. It leaves them without excuse and even goes as far as sealing the condemnation. When you stop to think about it, gospel preaching to crowds of unrepentant sinners who turn down its offer of salvation can never be said to be a total waste of time, there is always and all wise purpose it even if we are unable to see it at the time! What a responsibility therefore rests on us who are called to present the truth with not only clarity and love but also with forcefulness!
But, how exciting it is to see this word taking root and bringing alive fruit in men’s lives! Its rare that I read books of testimonies, for some reason or another I fail to find them inspirational, however, for one reason or another I recently read of a Christian worker who gave a tract to a young man. As the worker handed over the tract he expressed the desire to see the young man saved. When the worker departed the young man threw the book in the fire, and as the pages of the book curled in the flames, his eyes fell upon the words, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35) As these words turned to ashes in the fire, they turned to a fire within his heart. And the result? He turned his life to Christ and went on to become a fruitful and committed believer.
There are piles and piles of testimonies like this that can be repeated thousands of times over. What a great move forward would be experienced in the Church if we gave more attention to “SPREADING THE WORD!!”. The Hebrew word “prosper” literally means “pushes forwards” , it’s a great dynamic force. We call the Bible the “Living word” because it is Gods book, it is the Word of His mouth. The Scriptures assert that God is profoundly and completely concerned for all humanity to read and accept it if they will.
It is very significant for us to make note of the way how at nearly every revival in Christian history there has always been before a sudden deep calling to study and apply the word of God, and incidentally, such a move, has always been inevitably followed by a proclamation of the truth. It is a healthy sign to see in the activities of the local church pre-eminence given to the scriptures. Blessed is the church of whom it can be said, “for from you is sounded out the Word of God”, this is the New Testament patter for progress. LET US BE FAITHFUL HERALDS OF THE LIVING WORD!
Speak soon folks and see you all next week on www.biblicalthoughts.org.uk