Trusting the Word
How much do you trust God’s Word? Let me ask this another way: how much do you trust His Word when circumstances are contradictory to what His Word declares?
No power is greater than His Word. Isaiah said that when God’s Word is dispatched from His mouth it will not return to Him empty (Isa. 55:11). That literally means that His Word will always carry an effect; it will never be dispatched in vain. There is tremendous power in His Word. Think about creation for a moment. The Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters waiting with anticipation of one thing: the Word! The moment that God spoke chaos became order. Ezekiel encountered the same thing in a valley (see Ezek. 37:1-10). He looked and saw nothing but a dry heap of bones, and these bones were very dry indeed. This valley was a chaotic mess. Can these bones live again, God asked? Then Ezekiel prophesied over this dusty mess; he spoke God’s Word over the situation and an army arose out of the dry heap. Just imagine what could happen when God’s Word is released over your circumstances.
In the New Testament it was an out-of-covenant Roman centurion who recognized the power of the Word. He came to Jesus because his servant was paralyzed and tormented (see Matt. 8:6-8). Jesus offered to go and heal his servant, but the centurion refused because he didn’t feel worthy of hosting Jesus in his home. Then he said these unforgettable words to Jesus, “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matt. 8:8). In other words, he realized that Jesus didn’t need to be on the premises to heal someone. This centurion understood that Jesus’ Word carried such amazing authority that once it is released it would fulfill its intended purpose. He had faith in the Word of the Lord. He trusted the Word over the circumstances that his servant was in. Jesus had never encountered faith like that, not even from His own disciples. Do you really believe the Word of the Lord?
What often happens to us is that our circumstances appear greater than the reality of His Word and this opens to door to unbelief. The moment that we elevate our present reality over God’s Word is the moment that we start to formulate doctrines that fit the context of our experiences. So let me ask you again: do you trust His Word when circumstances are contradictory to what His Word declares? There are people that I’m declaring healing over, but their circumstances have yet to change. Will I continue to declare God’s Word over them or believe that my present reality trumps what He says? The Word makes strong declarations about healing. For example: “The prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick” (James 5:15); “Heal the sick” (Matt. 10:8); Jesus declared, “The works that I do, he will do also” (John 14:12). So whose report will I believe? I don’t have the authority to change God’s Word; my only obligation is to trust what He says. There are many other circumstances that are dry, chaotic, or even seem dead, but I’m speaking His Word over them. There are people bound by addictions, people steeped in sin, people overwhelmed by oppressions, and people broken and far from God. I cannot and I must not cease speaking God’s Word over these situations because I believe His Word will prevail. I trust His Word even when I don’t understand the circumstances because I believe there is power in what He says.
Mary was confronted by an angel of the Lord in Luke chapter one, and she was told that she would bear a Son of the Most High (see Luke 1:31). Her circumstances prevented such a word from coming to pass; namely, she was a virgin. But the angel of the Lord explained what would take place, and then he announced: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). The word “nothing” is translated “not any word.” The angel was saying, “Not any word that God speaks will fail to come to pass.” Mary still wasn’t sure how everything was going to transpire, but her lack of understanding didn’t prevent her from trusting what God said. She stated, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). That should be our response in every situation that we find ourselves in. Mary could have reasoned herself out of trust; she could have allowed her circumstances to trump the declared Word of God, but she trusted His Word.
My encouragement to you is to trust the Word of God no matter where you might find yourself. Don’t think that the mess you might find yourself in is the final word on the matter. Don’t assume that things will always be the way that they are. You might be in a valley of dry bones, you might be hovering over chaos, or you might be in a barren situation with no hope in sight, but no word that God speaks will fail to come to pass. Time will not dissipate the strength of God’s Word; there is no expiration date on the validity of what He says. Grass and flowers will fade, but “the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8).
Will you trust His Word over your circumstances?
Let’s pray:
God, your Word is eternal. Heaven and earth will pass away, but your Word will endure forever. Help me to trust what your Word says even when the circumstances in my life are contradictory to the Bible. Enable me to declare what the Bible says over the situations in my life, and over the situations of those I’m praying for, until I see biblical results. I will not settle for anything less.
