Choose Love (9 page)
Authors: Stormie Omartian
When we have
God’s Word guiding us
every day, when
we look to God for counsel
instead of the world,
we become solidly planted
where God’s rivers of living water flow continuously into us. The Bible says of the person who delights in God’s law, that he “
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water
, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and
whatever he does shall prosper
” (Psalm 1:3).
That’s where you want to be—in that place of safety where you will not bear the consequences of disobedience. You will, instead, bear the fruit that nourishes and sustains you for life.
God’s Word Is a Weapon of Warfare
God’s Word is called “the Sword of the Spirit” for a reason:
His Word is a powerful weapon against the destructive powers of evil.
When we speak God’s Word in the face of all that opposes us, every stronghold and threat is destroyed.
God’s Word becomes a weapon against the enemy of our soul
when we stand strong in it and proclaim it. It assists us in disabling the enemy’s plans for
our
destruction and allows us to concentrate on
his
.
As prayer warriors in God’s army, we must keep in mind that our main
weapon
is the Word of God. It is not only part of our
protective
armor—the armor of God—but it is also a powerful offensive
weapon
. The enemy finds it very offensive. It is highly accurate, and if you are knowledgeable as to how to handle it as a weapon against the enemy, it is unfailing. If you aim correctly, it hits the target dead-on every time. The more skilled you are at using this powerful weapon, the greater advantage you have. In fact, the enemy cannot stand against it.
No soldier
resists
the enemy without his weapon. Neither does a soldier ever
attack
his enemy without the weapon he knows best
how to use. He understands its capabilities, is completely familiar with it, and has practiced with it countless times. A soldier’s weapons are always kept up to the highest standard and ready to use.
We must do the same with our spiritual weapons. We cannot wait until the enemy attacks to get familiar with our spiritual weapons. We have to know our weapons now so we are prepared for anything. The Word of God is our best weapon because it will always be exactly what we need in order to face every threat.
God is unchanging. That’s because He doesn’t
need
to change. He is perfect and complete. And His Word is the same. It is never irrelevant, no matter how much the enemy tries to make it seem that way. That’s why you can claim promises in the Bible as absolute truth for your life.
When Jesus was tempted by the enemy in the wilderness, He resisted with Scripture specifically aimed at thwarting the enemy’s temptations. Even the enemy knows that the Word of God is powerful and unfailing and he can never prevail against it. That’s why he finally left Jesus alone. He could not entice
Him
with lies the way he can with far too many of
us
.
Our faith is extremely important in the effectiveness of this main weapon. And the more we train and practice in our knowledge and retention of the Word, the more our faith develops. The more diligently we
read
the Word,
quote
the Word,
pray
the Word, and
do
the Word, the stronger our faith will be. Our greatest weapon—God’s Word—mixed with our faith will prove to be the invincible weapon we need in every situation.
When marksmen or snipers train with their weapons, they do it full time. They make practicing with their weapon a way of life so that it becomes part of who they are. In the missions they are sent on, they cannot afford to miss. They have to be dead-on every time. In that same way, our greatest weapon—the Word of God—must become part of who
we
are and not just something we read or hear. We must pore over it, read
all
of it, listen to it, understand it, quote
it, and be able to stay solid in everything we know of it. That takes practice.
That’s why it is important to read the Bible every day. Just as you need to spend time with the one you love, you need to spend time with the One who loves you more than anyone else could. Ask the Holy Spirit to make whatever you are reading that day come alive in a new and deeper way. The Holy Spirit will meet you there on the page and do exactly that. It’s also crucial to etch some verses into your memory so that you can draw on them whenever you need to. If you have not done that before, start with just one.
For example, read: “
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind
” (2 Timothy 1:7). Say it again and again until it is part of your soul. Believe it. Quote it when you are afraid and feel powerless.
Weave Scripture into the fabric of your being.
Scripture that is part of you becomes an instrument of survival and warfare. It keeps you from doing the wrong thing. “
Your word I have hidden in my heart
, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). And it gives you an unshakeable foundation when you face difficult situations. “Great peace have those who love Your law, and
nothing causes them to stumble
” (Psalm 119:165).
Satan tried to destroy Jesus when He was born by inspiring wicked King Herod to kill all the babies in Bethlehem. Thirty years later, when Jesus was baptized in water by John the Baptist, He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and Satan attacked Him again. This time Jesus’ weapon against His enemy was Scripture.
No spiritual battle can be fought and won without our greatest weapon—the Word of God
.
The Word is God-breathed. Each writer of the Bible was moved by the Spirit as his gifts and intellect were used by God to speak
through
him. The Word of God is so powerful that
it is a double-edged sword in our hands
(Hebrews 4:12). That means it is a
defensive
as well as an
offensive
weapon. All prayer warriors need both.
Some people say, “This part of the Bible was only for the Old Testament people, and that part was only for the disciples, and that other part was only for the Ephesians, and this was only for the Philippians… ” and on and on until the entire Bible is explained away as just a history book.
Beware of anyone who wants to make the Bible into just a history book
.
The Bible is living and has power for today
.
“
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God
, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work
” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
If you are a woman, please know that when the Bible says something like “man of God,” as it does in the verse quoted above, it is not excluding women. It’s like saying “mankind.” And we all know that “mankind” includes women as well. So don’t be concerned about that. I have heard as many concerns from men having a hard time over being called “the bride of Christ”—something all believing Christians are called in the Bible as Jesus prepares them for His return.
Every time you read God’s Word, it will become more firmly planted in your mind and heart. The more solid you are in the Word, the more powerful it will be in protecting you. So put on the Word of God like a protective garment every morning. Let the love of God in it
live in you
.
God’s Word is like a giant magnifying mirror. As we look into it every day, we not only see who God is, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is, we also see the truth about who
we
are. We also see who we are supposed to become.
Do you remember the wonderful promises I mentioned in the previous chapter, that God has given us so that we “
may be partakers of the divine nature
” (2 Peter 1:4)? They are contained in God’s love letter to us. These promises—when we cling to them—lift us outside of our tendencies toward lust, sin, corruption, and a dead-end life, and enable us to share in God’s holy nature.
God shares Himself with us because He loves us enough to want us to become more like Him
.
The more I read the Bible, the more clearly I see one thing. That is, God means what He says. God’s Word is never ineffective or irrelevant. He says of His Word that it will accomplish what He wants it to, and “it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
God promises that His love letter to you will produce great things in you beyond what you dream possible.
Prayer of Love
L
ORD
, I thank You for Your Word. I know it is Your love letter to me because every time I read or speak it, I experience Your presence and love in a deeper way. It feeds my soul and makes my life rich. Help me to understand it better every day. “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law” (Psalm 119:18). Help me to know You in greater depth through it. Thank You that Your Word gives me truth and guidance for my life.
Thank You that Your Word is perfect and it changes me every time I read it. All Your laws and commandments are right and are there for my benefit as boundaries to keep me protected and safe. Thank You for the blessings I receive when I obey them. Your Word brings me peace and a sense of well-being. “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors” (Psalm 119:24). Help me to clearly hear You speak to me as I read Your Word.
Lord, I am grateful You always keep Your Word. I know I can faithfully take You at Your word and it will never fail me. You are the living Word, Jesus, and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name (Psalm 138:2). Etch it on my heart in a lasting and life-changing way. Weave it into the fabric of my being so that it becomes part of me. Help me to see Your love for me on every page.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Words of Love
The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
H
EBREWS
4:12
As the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
I
SAIAH
55:10-11
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the L
ORD
, and in His law he meditates day and night.
P
SALM
1:1-2
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
J
OSHUA
1:8
The statutes of the L
ORD
are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the L
ORD
is pure, enlightening the eyes.
P
SALM
19:8
M
any people don’t fully receive God’s love because they believe He is angry with them. They don’t understand His grace and mercy and the extent of His complete forgiveness.
Before I learned how to receive God’s love, I didn’t think He was angry at me. I thought He didn’t care enough about me to even
be
angry. I knew I had done many wrong things I wasn’t proud of, and I could never go back and change all of that. I felt distant from God even though I tried everything I could to find a way to somehow connect with Him.
The various occult practices and Eastern religions I went into while searching for God held the promise of getting close to
a
god. At least, that’s what I had heard and read, but they never came through. The spiritual realm I was searching in became more and more frightening as time went on. It proved to be anything but comforting. In fact, it was quite the opposite. With each new experiment into this spiritual world, I was left feeling more distant from
a
god than ever and increasingly disappointed, hopeless, and fearful.