“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Jesus is the Word, spelt with a capital W it means He is greater than the word which is the bible, but is strongly and meaningfully connected to the word.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” Revelation 19:11-13. The Word of God is one of God’s epithets. These verses show the Word is Jesus because His robe is dipped in blood, His own blood. The Word is much greater than the bible, but He is consistent with the bible, and through bible reading we become like Him. The more we read it and meditate on it, the more we grow to be like Him.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16. The whole of the word is God-breathed and is alive with God. The word gives us more of God than creation does. When I go for a walk in a forest, I am refreshed, but when I read the bible, I become more alive in my faith. You can get to know God through the bible, but you can live in a forest all your life and not truly know God.

God has given me a love of  His word, the bible. Ezra knew the word well, and he was able to explain it to other people. It helps your faith enormously. God gives you rare insights, and maturity you could not learn any other way.

In my view you cannot lean too much on God or His word because if you try, God will push you back to lead a more balanced life. After all it is God you are leaning on, and He is someone alive, active, and extremely awesome, and not a piece of wood which can’t do much to help you. If you lean away from God, who is there to push you back to Him?

When you read the bible you enter into God’s presence. A few times recently I have understood the meaning of how God is the Word. One morning in particular I was reading the bible and I perceived God’s presence. The more I read the bible, the farther I was going into His presence. Soon He was engulfing me, but I was going still deeper as I read on. I felt there was no end to the depth of God. 

Another  day during bible reading I experienced God through the word, and therefore as the Word, I felt his presence with me all morning till I finished praying.

The lesson from these two examples is this. Every time we read the word, we enter Jesus’s presence, and His presence is still with us when we pray. This is the reality though we may not perceive it every time.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16. The effect of reading scripture is for the Holy Spirit to teach, rebuke, correct and train us to live godly lives. God always does something good to us when we read the bible. 

Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30. Whenever I read the bible after a weary, burdened experience, I find it restful, gentle, humble, easy and light. Exactly what Jesus said about Himself. I do feel I am yoking myself to Jesus when I read the word, and in those minutes or hours I am walking with Him. It is sheer joy to read the bible and it can do nothing but good just as God can do nothing to us but good.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16. Why should I be embarrassed or ashamed of the gospel? To me the word is God. Through it He talks to me. He builds my faith in the most visible and tactile way since I read the bible and hold it in my hands. God is my Best Friend, someone I am extremely proud of, and someone I could boast about forever and to everyone.

Michael Hume. The Holy Spirit teaches you everything.  Copyright belongs to author.