THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME

If your pastor’s sermons are anointed, they will produce life in you. The preaching of God’s Word will always encourage His saints. Likewise, corporate worship will lift you for a season. But how quickly we forget that uplift after a Sunday service is over. As Monday and Tuesday pass and the news begins to turn bad, we often fall back into fits of anxiety and fear.

GODLY COUNSEL

In normal times, I am able to draw advice from my godly wife, Gwen. She is always there to give me a good word — just what I need. I feel toward her the way David did when he said to Abigail, wife of Nabal: “See, I have hearkened to thy voice” (1 Samuel 25:35). But things can be different in calamitous times. When our faith is being threatened — indeed, when our very lives are being threatened — the counsel of spouses, pastors and wise friends can take us only so far.

Today we are living in fearful times and the truth is, only a personal word from the Lord can lead us through such times with the enduring hope we need. Throughout history, God has always been faithful to provide a word to His people.

HE STILL SPEAKS TODAY

In the Old Testament we read this phrase again and again: “The word of the Lord came.”

• Scripture says of Abraham: “After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram” (Genesis 15:1).
• We read of Joshua: “According unto the word of the Lord which he [gave] Joshua” (Joshua 8:27).

And so it was with David and also the prophets. As for God’s people today, we have the abiding Holy Spirit to speak a word from heaven to us. Through Him, the comforting, healing, guiding word of the Lord is available to all who trust.