Word of God

1 Thessalonians 2: 13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

When I was at college training to be a minister, I had a hard time dealing with some of the professors' interpretations of scripture. They had studied Hebrew and Greek for decades, along with Form and Literary criticism, which made them question, consider and categorize some parts of scripture as being human, faulty and full of flaws. They found it hard to accept a literal
interpretation of the Bible, so they set about tearing scripture to pieces, only keeping those passages intact that appealed to their own personal lifestyles, philosophies or theologies.

I came from a background of a conversion experience, so my loyalty and gratitude to God would not allow me to accept my professors' interpretation of scripture. This got me into trouble at times, especially during exams, when I was supposed to regurgitate everything that I had been taught from my professors and lecturers. I struggled with it year after year, and when I finally finished six years later, I threw all of my class notes into the garbage. I didn't want to depend upon the clever concoctions and academic assumptions of my teachers. I just wanted to preach and pastor from the heart, letting the word of God work within me because I believed, as I still do today, that it was God's Word.

We all struggle with God's Word because it continually challenges our ideas, opinions and cherished beliefs. It is wonderful to study, to learn the backgrounds of ancient peoples, to travel back in time to discover what they thought about God, but in the end only one thing will be important: whether we believe it comes from men or from God.

Prayer: Lord God, You chose to reveal Yourself to us through mighty acts and glorious deeds that have been recorded in writing and set down in scripture. Your Purpose is to enable us to know Who You are, so that we may be drawn to You and to Christ our Savior. When we have doubts about Your Sacred Word, disperse them with Your Living Word. When we struggle at times trying to follow Your Gospel, grant us open minds and hearts to the bidding of Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name, we pray.
Amen.