The Word of God

"My God is so BIG! So strong and so mighty there's NOTHING my God cannot do! ..."

So Acacia sang to me with all her might, throwing her arms up as high as they could go and jumping as high as her little legs would take her as she shouted the word "BIG!". I love it when words are put to a visual. Especially when that visual is small and so very passionate.

Ever wonder why God doesn't bring His Word to the nations Himself? If He's "so big", why does He need US to do it? In a Bible translation organization, it's easy to think that God is depending on us to "get the job done". And by "us" I don't mean just Wycliffe and other Bible translation organizations....I mean all of us who are believers and have an overabundance (if there ever was such a thing) of access to His written Word. I've subconsciously thought this for years, long before we got into full-time ministry with Wycliffe.

Truth be told, I've always felt a little uneasy with the thought that if we don't get to that tribe in the farthest corner of the earth, they will die without ever hearing about the God who created them for His pleasure and for His glory. That they are without hope. Isn't God big enough and strong enough to give His Word to not only us, but people around the world, too?

So I've been thinking. I usually (or rather...used to) think of "God's Word" as the Bible. As in, the physical book that sits next to my bed. It was my mahogany leather-bound NASB book that I can hold, flip the pages of, set down, put in my purse, or read from. About a year ago, a pastor that I had the privilege to sit under revolutionized my understanding of "God's Word" (and it's effect is still taking shape!). I can still hear the tone of voice he used and the pace with which He said, in reference to Galatians 3:8, "God said it; Abraham wrote it down." He repeated the phrase, a little more slowly this time, just to make sure we GOT IT. Doesn't seem that profound, does it? Well, here's the thing...

⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU."

"The Scripture preached the gospel beforehand"? What? How do words on a page preach? The point is, God spoke to Abraham AND THEN Abraham wrote it down. He penned it. God's Word is God's Word whether it's written down on a page or not. Please don't misunderstand and think that I'm insinuating that we can all go write our own Bibles. Not at all! What I AM saying is that God is not limited to a pen and paper. Did He reveal Himself in what is written? You betcha. But can He speak His Word to someone who doesn't have His Word that is written down? There's no doubt. In fact, I'm pretty sure He did that when He sent His Word in the form of flesh...living, breathing, human flesh. Not exactly a pen and paper. Sound familiar?

So I pray that we'll never feel like God needs us to do something for Him. It's kind of burdensome to think of it that way, anyway. Instead, He lets us enjoy Him so fully that in the process of doing so our only natural response is to bring the blessing we've been given in His written Word to those who don't yet have it.

Seriously, God is so big. And His love is SO BIG. Thank You, Lord for the life you give us!! Thank You that Your Word is ALIVE! May we never fail to let you have us completely. I praise You, most Holy God.

Sarah