Power for Christian living

It was Sunday morning. Joy woke up with a burdened and heavy heart. She did not sleep well the previous night. The Lord’s Day had been a day of happy memories for her. For more than 25 years, she and Mark had a good time on Sunday. She used to prepare the breakfast and they used to have the breakfast, sometimes talking, sometimes silently, but always together. After the breakfast, they went together tor the Sunday worship. Now it was different. Her husband died last Monday and now she-had to go to the church alone.

He used to drive the car and open the door of the car when it reached the church. Now she has to drive alone and has to open the door of her car. She slowly got up from her bed, went to the kitchen, prepared the food and sat alone for breakfast. While she ate the food, the happy memories of her time with her husband took her away from this world.

Suddenly when the bell rang at eight, she remembered that she has to be in the church at nine in the morning for worship. She dressed for the worship reluctantly and tried to lock the door. She could not leave the house because of worry and began to cry. The truth is that she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to sit alone in the church.

She remembered the promise that she gave to Mark at his death-bed. She promised that she will attend the worship service regularly after his death. So she left the house. When she reached the parking lot in the church, she wondered, “Will God speak to me from His Word today?”

The worship service started with a song – Standing on the promises of Christ my King. She understood that the Lord would have a word for her. After the preparatory song for the message, a new preacher went to the pulpit. The young preacher stepped into the. pulpit with a confident and smiling face. He was introduced as a missionary from North India. He looked at the congregation and read, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. l:9). Then he narrated the experience of William Carey. How he worked in India, lived with a mentally sick wife and continued his ministry without any fruit for seven years. Then his wife died followed by his son. But these trials and testing did not deter him from his call.

The message was for Joy. The Lord spoke to her through His Word because it was powerful and living. She felt that she has to be strong and be courageous because this world is transient. She understood that the Lord has promised to be with her in the place of her husband. So she need not be dismayed because He will be with her wherever she goes.

Suddenly she came to her senses when the preacher said that there is a condition for the fulfilment of promise. Joy looked at the face the preacher and prayed in her heart, ‘Lord help me to fulfil the condition.’ The preacher read, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’ (Josh.1:8).

The preacher looked at the congregation and said, ‘The secret to be happy and joyful in the midst of calamities and suffering in the world is to go to the Word of God. Everything in the world tries to discourage people and make them anxious. But a Christian will not lose courage and get dismayed, if he goes to the Word of God when he is discouraged.” Then he referred to Joshua 1:8 and said that there are three ways by which we can get strength from the Word of God. First, he said that a believer must read the Word of God. He supported his point by saying ‘this Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth.’ Then he said that he must meditate it day and night. Finally, he said that he must be careful to observe all that is written in it to be prosperous and successful.

Joy got the message for her future. She remembered how Mark used to tell her that she must read Bible, meditate it and do what is written in it to be happy in this world. She also remembered how Mark used to read the Bible, meditate on it daily and led a model life at the time of sickness and suffering at home in his last days.

When the preacher closed the message, he gave a time of silence for people to pray. Joy thanked the Lord for the Word that came to her in the morning worship and took a decision to read, meditate and do the Word of God in her life. When she came to the church she came with a sad and burdened heart. Now she left the church with a confidence that she can face her the future without Mark because the Lord has promised to be with her in Mark’s place. Now there is no need for her to be afraid of a future without her husband. The Lord and His Word will comfort her and lead her till she reaches the glory.

What should be our security in this unstable and insecure world? It is the Lord and His Word. He is with us. He has also given us His Word. This Word of God is powerful and meets the needs of needy souls. This is possible because of the following special qualities of the Word of God.

1. It is powerful and active:”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” (Heb. 4:12).
2. It is perfect:”The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Ps. 19:7).
3. It is inspired:”For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21).
4. It is very effective:”So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11).
5. It is truth:”You are near, O Lord, and all your commandments are truth” (Ps. 119: 151).

(Dr. C Barnabas, Translated from True Discipleship Nov.-Dec. 2001)