We Receive Abundant Life through the Word of God-Part 2

Welcome back! We have been looking at living the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Mediating on the Word of God is one of the Keys to Living the Abundant Life!

If you haven’t already had a chance to read Part 1, I recommend that you go back and read it since Part 2 is the continuation.  https://alexiscarucci.com

 The Word of God is the #1 weapon He has given us to live a victorious and abundant life therefore, we must learn to be effective in wielding it correctly. You have this weapon at your disposal as a child of God who has asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. If you don’t learn how to use it, it will be useless to you. But it isn’t hard because He gives us the answers! You can’t fail but you do have to take out His Word and learn to use it.

  The Word of God is part of the Armor of God that we are told to put on so that we will be able to stand against the tricks, deceptions and strategies of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Most of the armor pieces are for our defense but the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God is an offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17)!

 If it has been awhile since you pulled your weapon out, or you aren’t sure where to begin reading, the Holy Spirit can direct you if you ask Him. You could start in the Gospel of John in the New Testament where we see God the Father revealing His love for us through His Son Jesus Christ. The first four books of the New Testament or the gospels are eyewitness accounts or testimonies written by Jesus’ disciples concerning His life and ministry. Or you could look up a Bible reading plan that allows you to read through the entire Bible in one year.

Studying a verse, chapter or subject brings you deeper into discovering the will of God since His Word is His will and it doesn’t change. Discover what the Word has to say about your situation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Then, you can pray for a situation with confidence once you have discovered what God has to say about it (1 John 5:14,15)!

Thank and praise God for the answer while you’re waiting to see it come to pass. Choose your words to line up with His Word to stay in agreement with whatever He says. Jesus speaks God’s Words (John 3:34). God’s Words are powerful so speak His Word’s and the results you want to see not what you are seeing in the natural or physical realm (Proverbs 18:21; Amos 3:3; Matthew12:37).

 Studying together with friends or joining a local Bible study group at your church can be fun and supportive as you have an opportunityto share with one another what you are learning and to encourage one another.

 When you study the Bible, it is best to interpret the Bible using the Bible! The key to a Bible book is in the first few verses (i.e. Genesis –In the beginning God; Revelation – The Revelation of Jesus Christ). Look at the context that the passage or word is found in to determine its meaning and to understand the closest translation from Hebrew or Greek as possible. You shouldn’t just take a verse out of context to make it fit what you want it to mean.

You must rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). You need to look at who said it, who was the audience it was said to (Jews, Gentiles (people groups), or the church) and what was being discussed in the passage. Is it under the Old Covenant (before Christ’s death and resurrection) or under the New Covenant? You can also see how the word is used in other passages (use a concordance or a Treasury of Scripture Knowledge). You can also use Hebrew and Greek lexicons to understand what the word means in its most literal translation.

Read the passage in different translations as well. Our current and popular translations use different words at times to help us understand better in English. When you see a word in italics, it means that it wasn’t in the original manuscript and was added by the translator and believed to be the best choice to bring clarity of understanding. 

Meditating on the Word will help you to see Jesus. To meditate means to focus on, deeply think about or mull over. If you know how to worry, you know how to meditate. It is the same process, but the difference is what you are focusing on or thinking about! When you meditate on the Word of God, you are depositing His Word into your heart and it begins to change you because it is truth and gives life (John 17:17; John 8:31,32; John 6:63). When you apply faith to His Word by believing, speaking and acting on it, it will change your circumstances. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith is simply taking God at His Word! He doesn’t lie (Numbers 23:19).

Memorizing a verse or section of the Bible also helps to you meditate on it and makes it readily available when you need to use it!

When you obey the Word by doing what it says, you are wise (Colossians 3:16) and blessed (Psalm 119:1-3)!

But He said, “More than that, Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.” Luke 11:28 (NKJV).

“ Therefore, whoever hears the sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 (NKJV).

 Who has the last word in your life? Make the Word of God a priority and the final authority in your life and you will begin to experience abundant life. Let the Word of God speak into your life today and change you and your circumstances!

Abundant Blessings!