Trusting God’s Word

10/03/23 – 10/07/23

The Testimony of Transformed Lives

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  10/07/23

Read Psalm 19:7-9.

Psalm 19:7-8 tells us the Word of God “is perfect, refreshing the soul, . . . making wise the simple. . . . giving joy to the heart. . . . giving light to the eyes.” That is the power of the Scriptures. The Bible can lift a person out of the degradation of sin, from prostitution and drunkenness, slavery and addiction, greed and self-righteousness, to a victorious life in Jesus Christ

Here’s a famous example: The Word of God transformed the life of a slave trader named John Newton, and he became a preacher of the Gospel and a hymn writer. Newton wrote many songs in his day, but we remember one in particular because it’s his testimony set to music, illustrating the power of the Word of God: “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”

The Bible is like no other book because it is the very breath of God. The Spirit of God led men to write the words of the Old and New Testaments. The Spirit of power and might, who breathed and created the earth and the heavens, who painted the stars in the sky and fixed the galaxies—this same Spirit breathed into the human authors of the Bible so that they would write only what God said. And that is why the Bible has power to transform souls; as God has said, His Word accomplishes His purposes (see Isaiah 55:11).

Sadly, there are many Sunday school classes, fellowship groups, small groups, and even so-called Bible study groups across our land where the Bible is never even cracked open. If you can imagine it, there are Christians who have become bored with God’s Word. They’d rather pick up a book about the Bible or the Christian life than actually read and study the Bible for themselves.

You see, when he can’t stop people from coming to Christ, the devil will work overtime to stop Christians from feeding upon the Word of God. As D. L. Moody once said, “[W]hat we need as Christians is to be able to feed ourselves. How many there are who sit helpless and listless, with open mouths, hungry for spiritual things, and the minister has to try to feed them, while the Bible is a feast prepared, into which they never venture.” The evil one desperately wants Christians to live defeated lives, no different from their unsaved neighbors. That’s why he works so hard to keep believers from their Bibles.

Friend, don’t fall for the devil’s schemes. The Word of God has been given to you to transform your life into the radiance of Christ.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for neglecting Your Word. I know it is life-giving, refreshing, comforting, and inspiring. Holy Spirit, move me to long for the Bible and delight in it daily—empower me to develop a godly discipline of feasting on Scripture. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8).