The Living and Abiding Word

I Pet. 1:22-23

"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable , through the living and abiding Word of God."

The purpose of my obedience to the truth is to love others earnestly from a pure heart. In my flesh, this is an impossibility. It can only become a reality through the truth of the Word. God's Word is alive, sharper than a two-edged sword revealing the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is in this revelation that my true motives towards others are revealed. Even though I might appear to love others, in my heart, there is striving. What can I do about that? I need to go to the Word. Here there is purification for my soul through obedience to the truth. It is from a heart saturated in the Word that I can actually have sincere brotherly love. Without the Word in its supernatural and life-changing power, I am doomed to a heart of selfishness. What place does the Word have in my life? Do I go there frequently for my heart issues? Do I seek love from God to share with others?

How can the Word have this power? I have been thinking that the Word is not just a book. It is so much more. It is alive and powerful, a relationship with God Himself, and grace given freely for my many weaknesses. I should never think that I need to read the Bible so I have spent my daily time there; instead I need to think I want to be with God. I want to hear what He has to say to me today, to fellowship with Him, and to feast on of the riches of His grace. I need to relate to the Word for what it truly is and not demote it to the status of only a book.

Even more than that, it was through the Word that I was born again because the Word is living and abiding. It is life itself. How could something so powerful only be considered a book? How do I think about the Word? Is my head-knowledge about the Word actually a reality in my life? If I actually believed it was my one-on-one time with God Himself, would I ever miss it for any reason?

Father,

Reveal Yourself to me within the pages of Your Word. Grow our relationship in ways that only You know. Purify my love so that I may love others as You would.

Amen