journey onWord with us

What keeps you grounded in life and faith? What gives you perspective in a world filled with pain? How can you remain calm when you see pictures of earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, and countries warring with themselves? For all of us there needs to be a constant. One that is grounded in truth, produces hope, and results in a balanced life. I submit to you that God has provided us with that unchangeable source. One that gives balance to life, hope for eternity, and perspective to live in a world that is so often out of sorts.

Isn’t it interesting that we all struggle to stay consistent in our reading of God’s message to us? It is easy to substitute His counsel for that of friends, good books or even sermons at church. But there is no substitute for His Word.

Just this morning in my reading in Jude (next to last book in the Bible), I saw hard,but true words and a call to persevere. Times have changed since those words were penned, but they are just as relevant today. One of my passions in life is to motivate and re-motivate you to read God’s Word on a consistent basis. It’s relevance for today will astound you, its truth will ground you, and its power can change you. Although it’s easy to substitute God’s Word with other things, only His Word is the source of absolute truth. There is no substitute for what God (and God only) can give.

Do you ever feel like your life is a pattern of starting and stopping when it comes to your relationship with the God’s Word? You are not alone. And quite frankly, it is easy to substitute a good book, or your pastor’s sermon for time with the Father. I’m guilty of doing those very things myself. However, you and I both know that there is only one place to read, and be sure that it’s God who is speaking. His counsel never fails and there is no substitute.

II Timothy 3:16 (MSG)
Every part of Scripture is God breathed and useful one way or another-showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

Accept this post as a personal challenge from me to you. April 1st, we will begin a second phase of reading through the New Testament in 2011. It does not matter where you are on your spiritual journey. The Word is the Word is the Word, and there is no substitute. You may have gotten sidetracked in your relationship with it, but yesterday did end at midnight, and I believe the God of Creation wants you to hear from Him daily. Accept His Words in the verse above for your future: Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us. Remember, for the tasks God has for you and me, there is no substitute for His Word.

You may be a consistent student of the Word … I commend you! You may have struggled for years at stopping and starting … I challenge you to keep going! You may have never been a student of His Word … It can be a new day for you! Our desire at Journey onWord is to help you find the riches of God’s love and grace through His Word.

And I will say it again: There is no substitute!