The Living Word
"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." -Hebrews 4:12
I don't know about you, but when I used to hear the phrase "the living word" I thought it was a little strange. How can inanimate objects, such as words, become alive?
As a teenager, reading God's word was dull and boring. I didn't really understand it. I read the book of Psalms because it comforted me, but other than that, it was difficult for me to read the Bible -- even though I wanted to understand it. It wasn't until later when some things happened in my life that God began to speak to me through His word, and I began to receive revelation from it.
There are two ways to receive revelation from the Bible: Logos and Rhema. Logos is taking the word literally, in its original historical context. Rhema is when the scripture applies to us personally, to either a situation we are going through, or a confirmation of something we have already heard from God. It is another layer of revelation in addition to the literal interpretation.
For example, in Matthew 8, we know that Jesus calmed a storm while he was in a boat with His disciples, and He challenged them for their fear and lack of faith. This is the literal interpretation. But suppose you are going through something difficult that is making you afraid, a storm of life. This scripture would be relevant to your situation, and God might give you answers to your situation through the scripture.
Likewise, many people quote Jeremiah 29:11 as their favorite verse. The literal, or logos interpretation of this verse was that God was saying these words to Israel during a time when they were in captivity under another nation. But, many people take this verse as a "Rhema" word for them, and it is still true for us today.
Is the word of God alive for you? Pray that God would help you gain revelation from His word. He desires that we experience His living word, to help us in our everyday life.
Related resource: Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture by John Piper
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