Thankful for God's Word

It truly is amazing how quickly each successive year passes. I’m not sure where the time went, but another November is upon us. Among the many things that November brings is the holiday we affectionately call Thanksgiving. Traditionally, at Thanksgiving, we set aside time to be grateful for our families, friends, churches, nation, and a host of other blessings enjoyed through the providence of God. As we count our many blessings this holiday season, one additional item deserves to be on this list: the Word of God. This month, I would like to remind us how thankful we should be that God, in His wisdom and providence, has preserved for us His written word. 

See 

First, we should be thankful for the Word, as we must see, as in seeing God. Jesus says in John 14:9, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (NKJV used throughout). Paul in Romans 1 argues that the general revelation of creation alone is sufficient to know there is a creator God. In Romans 1:21, Paul states, speaking of the Gentiles, that “they knew God.” Creation alone, however, fails in many ways to reveal fully the God of heaven. The Word is necessary to teach us of the many facets of God: His love, grace, mercy, providence, power, holiness, and many other attributes. Thankfully, we have the Word to show us the God of heaven. 

Salvation 

The Word is also necessary for salvation. Again, Paul’s argument in Romans 1 is the Gentiles are without excuse before God; they, like all men, are sinners in His eyes. However, general revelation fails to disclose what is necessary to solve our sin problem. It is only through the Scriptures that we are told how God in His love sent His only begotten Son, of the Son’s once for all sacrifice for sin, of the gospel message that is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, and what we must do to obey the gospel. Without the clarity of Word revelation, we would indeed be lost as to how we can rectify our sin problem. 

Sanctification 

The Word is also necessary for sanctification; to live lives set apart for Him. I’ve said on numerous occasions that one of my favorite verses is Colossians 2:6, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.” Having obeyed the gospel, we still need further instruction as how to live the Christian life. From family relationships to workplace conduct, to finances, to dealing with those who are hostile to the faith, to moral purity, to every aspect of life, it is only through the Scriptures that we are taught how to “walk in Him.” 

In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul testifies that, “we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him” (2 Corinthians 5:9). Similarly, the apostle John encourages us that it is because we do those things that are pleasing in His sight that we regularly receive the answer to our prayers (1 John 3:22). Without the Word, we would be at a loss as how to conduct our lives in a manner pleasing to Him. 

Stability 

Yet another reason why the Word is necessary is for stability. Life can be hard, full of challenges, trials, and frustrations. As we navigate the topsy-turvy ebbs and flows of life, it is in the Scriptures that we find the encouragement needed to stabilize our lives. In the Word we find numerous examples of faithfulness in the midst of trials—Joseph falsely accused (Genesis 39), Jeremiah tossed into the dungeon simply for preaching the truth (Jeremiah 38), the three Hebrew young men thrown in the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image (Daniel 3), and Paul and Silas imprisoned for a good deed done to a slave girl (Acts 16). In those trying times that can rattle and unsettle our faith, it is the Scriptures that provide the stability needed as we press on in our commitment to the Lord. 

Society 

Finally, the Word is necessary for society. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.” One needs to look no further than our current culture to see the truth of this verse. Without God’s Word to order society, providing the wisdom necessary to negotiate the complexities of life, culture will completely unravel, chasing and inventing all kinds of evil. More than ever in our country’s history, we have arrived at a time when our fellow citizens need to hear afresh the Word of the Lord. 

As we gather with family and friends to celebrate another Thanksgiving holiday, let’s pause to give thanks to God for His precious Word. It’s easy to take the Word for granted. Second only to the gift of His Son is God’s gift of word revelation. Let’s be thankful for the Word. 

Happy Thanksgiving