Alive and Active in Me
In Beth Moore’s Believing God Bible study, the last of the 5 tenets of a pledge we recited (I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it was truly life-changing!) was this simple and profound statement:
The Word of God is alive and active in me.
When she taught the Scripture and support for this statement, she referenced the many passages in the Bible that demonstrate the power of the spoken word of God.
This morning, Jane got up and wandered over to her book basket. She pulled out her children’s Bible and brought it to Paul to read.
He randomly opened to the story of the spies who went into the land of Canaan and returned with a branch of grapes so large and full that it took 2 men to carry it.
Jane looked long and hard at the “really BIG grapes.”
He read aloud the Bible verses that had been translated into child-friendly language.
I just listened.
It went like this:
Can you see what these men are carrying? It is a great big bunch of grapes on a pole. The grapes are so big and so heavy that the men can hardly carry them. They found the grapes far away in another country. God told them to go there. They found the grapes and brought them home for all their friend to see. God wants these people to take a long trip to that other country, where the grapes are so big, and live there. But the people are afraid to go…They forget that God will take care of them.
[my emphasis]
As I sat on the couch with tears in my eyes, thinking about how I’m so like those fearful Israelites, I felt a huge surge of gratitude for those words of truth: “They forget that God will take care of them.” I needed to hear that today, I think.
I also realized how much I need, and how much I truly appreciate the Truth of the Word of God.
And how it transcends the words of man. After all, this child’s version is probably a translation of a translation of a translation, and is so simplistic that it is almost comic.
Or is it?
And that’s when I realized that tenet #5 has begun to prove itself true…and is now deeply embedded in my thought life.
The Word of God is alive and active in me.
Indeed.
Filed under: General, Catbird, Like a fire, Random Thoughts, Jane on January 29th, 2007
I remember a couple years ago when times were really tough and I was not reading my Bible, but was reading to Lauren (age 1 or so) from her Bible. It was amazing how much I learned from it.
God’s Word truely is so pertinent and amazing!!!
I’ve been telling my “girls” lately that, “God’s Word is alive and powerful. . .but if you never take that ’sword’ out of the scabbord, it’s only useful for thumping somebody on the head!” I’m so glad you are taking the ’sword out of the scabbord’. . .
Thanks for the reminder, Cathy. I loved that study and those truths!
ON a side note, I was outside with Natalie the other day (not today of course since it is 51 degress!), and she said she wanted Jane’s mommy to come over and be her teacher. Isnt’ that sweet!