Guest Post:The Word of God by Myriam Ndanga

The Word of God, when we think about it, we think about the Bible.

But the Word of God is so much more. Let's take a look at the Bible and at Jesus.

The Bible is active and alive, it's our daily bread, it gives life, it's the Truth, it shows us the way, it is there for correction, encouragement and teaching, it's as sharp as a double sided sword, it's perfect in itself, it enlightens our ways by enlightening the path of our feet and much more.

Jesus is the living Word of God. He was in the beginning and He was with God and He was God Himself. He became flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus says of Himself that He is the Truth, the Way and the Life. He says that He is the Bread of Life. He speaks what God speaks without error. When He speaks, He speaks with divine authority, with grace, with wisdom, with power, with knowledge, with truth and love. He proclaims the righteousness of God. And He uses Scripture to rebuke and correct and to guide.

Now, both of them are the Word of God but we can not live with one while neglecting the other one. They belong together and are one. You can not love Jesus but have no desire to read the Word also if you think that Jesus spoke to you but you can't find it in the Word it is not of Jesus, since He doesn't speak anything against or not according to His Word.

The Word of God is what God, Himself, speaks. It is what He thinks and it is coming out of His very heart. When we know and understand His Word, we get to know and understand His heart.

It is very interesting to see that He blessed us with His whole Word. Now, this doesn't mean that God doesn't have more to say, NO! God's wisdom is endless. It just means that He told us everything WE need to know in order to survive in this world and to be prepared for the world to come. He told us everything we need to know from beginning to end. There is nothing which should surprise us since He made sure to tell us everything we need to know concerning history, present and future events.

His Word also says that it is forbidden to take anything away from it or to add anything to it. Otherwise the Word would be twisted and not perfect and complete and holy in itself. It wouldn't be 100% the truth.

With that being said there are two parts of the Word. The reading part and the living part. The Scriptures help us to understand God's heart and will for our lives and Jesus helps us living according to it through His Holy Spirit. 

If you don't read the Word, you won't understand God and you would be spiritually dead and defenseless against the tricks of the enemy. If you don't live it, you can't please God, since your faith wouldn't be complete and faith without works is dead and it's impossible to please God without faith.

We have to abide in Him and His Word to understand and live it. 

Through His Word, by beholding Jesus, we are being transformed more and more into His image.

Just as Jesus is with us everywhere and everyday of our lives, it's important that the written Word is with us everyday and everywhere too.

Seasons of Life

Life is unstable. Things are constantly changing from one season to the other but in that instability God is our firm foundation, He is the One who is unchanging, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8).

I recently went through a  difficult season with regard to friendships. My reputation was tampered with and I lost some friends in the process but I also learned a few things.

First and foremost, I learned that God is SOVEREIGN over ALL seasons, and that He has a time and a purpose for each one ( Eccl. 3:1,11). When I realized that God was not at all surprised by what was going on in my life, I calmed down and drew strength from this truth. I no longer asked why me but I told myself that He knows and is in control.

Secondly, discernment and acknowledgement of one's season is key. I started off not liking this season at all, I wanted to be out of it from the get go; I was in winter wishing for summer. However, denial of my situation withheld me from learning. After I discerned and accepted my circumstances, I was able to look for and find the purpose for the season.

Lastly, every season has a learning curve. I learned the destructive power of gossip and the importance of communication when trying to restore a relationship. I realized my mistakes and at the same, developed some skills that I can apply in the future and also came to understand that without the power from God through His Holy Spirit, we are unable to perfectly apply Scripture to our lives.

To sum it all up, I learned to interpret my experiences through God's perspective and realized that God uses both good and bad experiences to purify and mold us into the image of Christ. I stopped fretting about the things I have no control over.

Maybe you are in a season of great trial and long suffering, or maybe you are in a season of prosperity and growth. Summer is not just about fun nor is winter only about sadness. Whatever season you are in, ask God to reveal His purpose for that season to you. Ask Him what it is that He wants to teach you. Life is unstable, seasons come and go, don't miss the opportunity to become better because of your feelings about the season you are in. Instead, embrace it and let God change you for the better.

Big thank you to my editors: Whitney van der Mark and Chibwe Beel!