Tag: In The Beginning

Your Word is Truth…

John 17:17 (NIV)

Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

Our Verse of the Day is found in a passage of scripture that captures the content of an intercessory prayer Jesus offered to God the Father. When Jesus was with His disciples just before the time of his betrayal, trial, and execution on a cross; He commenced a profound time of prayer specifically for them and for those who come to faith through their testimonies. The Apostle John recorded this prayer in his gospel account; and it affords the context for our verse:

John 17:6-23 (NIV) – Excerpt from the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus

6 “I have revealed You (your name, your character, your being) to those whom You gave me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to me and they have obeyed Your word. 7 Now they know that everything You have given me comes from You. 8 For I gave them the words You gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are Yours. 10 All I have is Yours, and all You have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by the power of (keep them faithful to) Your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them faithful to that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Here we discover that the disciples (and all those who believe) have been “set apart” from the world through Jesus Christ. And He emphasizes in this prayer that WHAT will “separate” His followers from the world is the Word of God. Yes, this is what the word “sanctify” means. It means to be separated from the world … to be “set apart unto God” and service to Him. It means to be holy … for the One who gives us life through His Son is holy! And, indeed, we should never lose sight of this declaration from the Gospel of John … and his eyewitness account of the glory of Jesus Christ: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Cf. John 1:1) And, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe.” (Cf. Hebrews 1:1-2)

When Jesus prayed: “Sanctify them by the Truth; your Word is Truth,” He was declaring to the disciples (and to us) that the Word of God is Truth. You and I can fully trust His Word. Jesus, the living Word of God, is Truth! You can trust Jesus when He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Cf. John 14:6) Applying the Word of God to our hearts and letting it transform us and renew our thoughts (minds) is HOW we become sanctified. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Cf. Hebrews 4:12)

Again, in order to know the truth … in order to live in accordance with the truth … we have to be studying the truth in order to know it and to put it into practice. Indeed, as Jesus asserted, He gave His disciples the words that the Father had given for Him to impart … “and they accepted them.” So, I encourage you to keep reading … keep meditating … keep receiving from the Spirit the wonderful things of God found in His Word. His Word is our hope … our confidence … our assurance! His Word is alive! It contains truth that transforms. It will empower your life in ways you may not have experienced before. There is always something new … something fresh … awaiting you in the Word of God. And the Spirit of Truth will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (Cf. John 16:13)

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!


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

To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ~ John 8:31-32

God of Wonders…

Job 37:5-6 (NIV)

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

I thought our Verse of the Day had a great message as I watched the gale bent trees and wind driven sheets of rain outside my window – the forces of Hurricane Nicole as it passed through our area. It reminded me again of the sovereign power of God displayed in creation, and this truth resonated even deeper today.  Coming from the Book of Job, I realized that I had not read this particular book in a while, so I thought that I would at least read this chapter and catch up on the wisdom of my patient, suffering friend. However, Chapter 37 was just a continuation of a “rebuke” directed at Job from his friend, Elihu, that had started earlier at the beginning of Chapter 35. So, I spent some time reading these chapters. Although we find at the conclusion of the Book of Job that Elihu and two other friends were misguided in their assessment of Job’s character and his relationship with God, I think their insight and contemplations about the character of God should not be ignored or dismissed. If we look at the discourse of Elihu, we can still glean some inspiration from him that will impact our theology.

Job 37:1-16 (NIV)

1 “At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. 2 Listen! Listen to the roar of His voice, to the rumbling that comes from His mouth. 3 He unleashes His lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. 4 After that comes the sound of his roar; He thunders with His majestic voice. When His voice resounds, He holds nothing back. 5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. 6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ 7 So that everyone He has made may know His work, He stops all people from their work. 8 The animals take cover; they remain in their dens. 9 The tempest comes out from its chamber, the cold from the driving winds. 10 The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen. 11 He loads the clouds with moisture; He scatters His lightning through them. 12 At His direction they swirl around over the face of the whole earth to do whatever He commands them. 13 He brings the clouds to punish people, or to water His earth and show His love. 14 “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders. 15 Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes His lightning flash? 16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of Him who has perfect knowledge?

In this particular passage, we can find truth regarding the majesty and power of God as it is displayed in familiar scenes of our physical existence. I love the imagery that Elihu uses to describe tempestuous weather … the experience of flashing bolts of lightning and the thunderous sonic booms that shake us afterwards. He entertains the reactions of both man and creatures; and he attributes these workings of nature to its Creator – God Himself. We can observe the mysterious and the miraculous in nature and never quite understand how it all works or how it all fits together. Seriously, do we really understand rain? Do we really understand the wind and its movement? Oh, scientists and meteorologists might explain “how it works,” but I think they fail to expound on “why it works.” I believe the “why” is the inherent wisdom and knowledge of God. Indeed, our Father has ordained and designed every detail of creation for His own purpose and pleasure.

As I meditate on these things, what amazes me the most is that God delights to share His creative pleasure with mankind. King David mused: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (Cf. Psalm 8:3-5) How incredibly wonderful it is that we can view the starry expanses of the universe, the majestic heights of mountains, the beauty of windswept canyons, and intricacies of wave sculpted coastlines – their awe-inspiring vistas filling our eyes with amazement and our hearts with the knowledge of His perfect splendor….

So, yes, I invite you to revisit some of the colorful, poetic language found in the Book of Job … and really throughout much of the “wisdom” literature compiled in the Scriptures. People, moved by the Holy Spirit, captured a wealth of understanding about God as they contemplated and meditated on His creative works. I think, sometimes, we just are too busy in our lives to stop and notice … or to ponder the incredible design of creation and every detail within it. Maybe this verse is a reminder to stop for a moment and receive the joy of knowing everything was created for our enjoyment and delight as well. Indeed, what a gracious and loving Father we have to love and worship in return for this experience of life! So, I pray that today we will be encouraged to spend time with our Heavenly Father and to give Him thanks for the lovingkindness He displays toward us through His Creation….

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!