At times I find myself learning to rest…AGAIN.

 
I find myself re-centering on the beauty, delight, and power of the simple but powerful Truth; the Word of God “un-jazzified.”

 
It is the Word of God that “tunes my heart to sing His grace!”

 
It is the Word of God through the Spirit of God that gives me eyes to see when my spiritual sight is dim; it brings joy to my heart and light to my eyes! (Psalm 19:8)

 
It is the Word of God that keeps me grounded even when I want to run…from the “stuff” of life that threatens to steal my joy and rob me of peace. But it is HIS love, HIS grace, HIS mercy, HIS truth that pursued me from the start and keeps me even now! And I am confident knowing that “HE who began a good work in (me and you who are redeemed by Christ and sharing in the partnership of the Gospel) will perfect it and carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 1:6, NASB and NIV)

 
It is the Word of God that then invites me to run in freedom, to “run in the path of (His) commands, for (He has and) will enlarge my heart and broaden my understanding!” (Psalm 119:32)

 
It is the Word of God that endures and is unchanging even as our God never changes! (I Peter 1:23-25, James 1:17)

 
It is the Word of God that leads me to know and worship my Savior “in spirit and in truth,” (John 4:24) not out of my emotions or my deceitful heart!

 
It is the Word of God that causes me to “set a guard over my mouth” and a “covenant with my eyes” (Psalm 141:3, Job 31:1) and to not be haphazard about keeping the vows I make!

 
It is the Word of God that causes me to “set my eyes (and thus my thoughts and imaginations) on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

 
It is the Word of God that reminds me that, as a sinner in need of grace, Jesus has given me the faith to receive His grace and has redeemed my life once and for all but never to be the same…making me new day by day! (Ephesians 2:4-9, 2 Corinthians 4:16)

 
It is the Word of God that reveals the will of God to me beginning with the “fear of the Lord,” walking in Truth, and submitting to His divine power that has “given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory…” (Psalms 111:10, 2 Peter 1:3)

 
It is the Word of God that leads me to remember that it is His kindness that may bring me to godly sorrow but that leads me and others to repentance where there is great joy. (2 Corinthians 7:10, Romans 2:4)

 
It is the Word of God that calls me to that repentance before Him and to any I have hurt in my sin when I have failed to walk in truth and that He has redeemed my life from the pit, wiping out the guilt of my rebellion, “setting my feet on a firm place to stand,” so that “times of refreshing” may come from the Lord. (Job 33:28, Psalm 40:2, Acts 3:19)

 
It is the Word of God that is “God-breathed,” “alive and active” and doesn’t allow me to be complacent with or indulging of my sin but “penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow,” and discerns, judges, and exposes “the thoughts and intentions of (my) heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) It is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) for my oft times stubborn will, so that I will become more pliable to His Spirit and less desirous of my own will and the approval of people.

 
It is the Word of God that positions my heart and mind to remember that it is for His glory that He disciplines us and renews me; that He gives me a new heart and a new spirit, removing my heart of stone and giving me a heart of flesh; that it is He who puts His Spirit in me and moves me to be careful to follow His decrees and commands. (Ezekial 36:26, 27)

 
It is the Word of God that directs my heart to forgive others as He has forgiven me and to not let a let a bitter root implant itself in my heart that will cause trouble in a multitude of ways. (Hebrews 12:15)

 
It is the Word of God that propels my non-confrontational self to speak the truth in love so that we may grow up in all things; that a relationship can be a healed, one lost can know the hope of the grace of God, or a brother or sister wandering from the truth of God can be brought back to the Savior and his soul saved from death. (Ephesians 4:15, James 5:19)

 
It is the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit, that enables me to not be taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ” and “anything that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” but to rather “take every thought (and intention of my heart) captive to make it obedient to Christ!” (Colossians 2:8, 2 Corinthians 2:2,5)…even when my own deceitful heart and my flesh grow faint or the enemy of my soul seeks to whisper the same old lie, “Did God really say?”

 
It is the Word of God that renews my strength and revives my soul! (Psalm 19:7)

It is the Word of God that reminds me that my God is faithful and true when the world and those in it are not. (Revelation 19:11)

It is the Word of God that continuously causes me to take my eyes off me and my circumstances and set them fully on the grace that will be brought to (those who are redeemed by Christ) at the revelation of Jesus Christ! (I Peter 1:13)

It is the Word of God that emboldens me to not be “ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Rather, it makes me confident to always be prepared and ready to give an answer to everyone who asks (me) to give reason for the hope that is in (me)…with gentleness and respect.” (Romans 1:16, I Peter 3:15)

It is the Word of God that heartens me to hold the line; to hold fast and firmly to the Word of Life! (Philippians 2:16)

It is the Word of God that devastates my little “kingdoms” and even the good things I end up making idols.

It is the Word of God that prepares me to say…No, THIS is what God does say and He can be trusted!

 
Throughout history, men and women have tried to complicate it, to make it lofty and unattainable.

 
Men and women have sought to extinguish its power by declaring it to be the word of men.

Men and women have pulled parts and pieces away that made them uncomfortable or redefined terms to make it more palatable. Yet, in that process they have denied its power and created a different book.

 
Even we, His redeemed children, have tried to twist it and change it to fit our perceptions, our inclinations, and our “understanding” (or lack thereof) of truth to rationalize our own desires and coddle our feelings and emotions.

But it is the powerful Word of God and it will not be shaken because HE will not be shaken!  It will not be moved, because HE will not be moved! It will not change, because HE will not change!  In a world of shifting shadows and fickle people, that is our steadfast hope that is certain!

It is the Word of the God Who is mysterious and mighty; Who will not be put in a box but who graciously makes Himself known to those who “call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth!” (Psalm 145:18)

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. I Thessalonians 2:13