God’s Certain Word

Time to read: 3 mins

He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

Psalm 33:9

Have you ever had someone say to you – “I’ll do that”, “I’ll be there”, “I’ll get that for you” – but then they haven’t kept their word? Perhaps they forgot or found they were unable to do what they had promised. I’m sure we’ve all been in situations where we have been let down. And no doubt have done our fair share of letting others down.

As I’ve been reading my Bible this year, I keep being struck by the power of God’s word and the certainty of God’s promises. When God speaks, it has power, is certain and can be relied upon completely. And everything in the universe is subject to God’s word – all people, creatures, the weather, Covid, even the devil who tries to draw us away from the Lord.

Just a few of the many examples I have noted in the first two books I read this year:

• Creation – In Genesis 1 as we read the creation account, the power of God’s word is clear. Numerous times the account reads, “God said … and it was so.”
• The Flood (Genesis 6-8) – God spoke to Noah, warning of the flood. Noah built the Ark which took many years, all this time this was a warning to the other people that God was going to act in judgement. But no-one other than Noah’s family took any notice until it was too late. God’s warnings are not empty.
• The promise of a son (Genesis 17 & 21) – God promised Abraham a son and many descendants. At the time that this promise came, it seemed impossible that it could be fulfilled – Abraham and Sarah were both old. But God’s promise proved to be true even in the face of impossible natural circumstances.
• Healing miracles – There are many examples of this, one which clearly shows the power of God’s word is the healing of the man’s withered hand in Mark 3. Jesus said, “Stretch forth thine hand” to the man who was unable to do so, and “he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other”. The power of Jesus’s words to heal was immediate.
• Casting out devils – In Mark 5 we read of a different type of healing, where Jesus cast devils out of a man who was possessed. Jesus said, “Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.” “And the unclean spirits went out …”. On a similar occasion recorded in Mark 1, the people bore witness, “… with what authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” (v.27)

This small selection of the many examples in the Bible should be both an encouragement and a warning to us.

We can be encouraged because there are so many wonderful promises in God’s word, and not one of them will fail. Why? because they are God’s promises. Not only is God’s word sure, but it is powerful, and as He is sovereign over all things, we know that He can speak and circumstances can be changed in ways we would never have dreamed of – this could be in a difficult situation with another person, in an illness, in applying for a job and of course in our spiritual walk.

It should also be a warning to us because the Bible teaches that the day will come for each of us to stand before the judgement seat of God, and we need to be ready for that time. The only way to be prepared is through faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Do you know Him as your Saviour? If not, I encourage you to pray and to seek Him today, before it is too late. He promises, “Seek and ye shall find.” (Matthew 7:7).

[A00152 – 19/02/2021]