Do we really take at His word?

This week, as I was reading through my devotional material, I was looking for a theme to be thinking about.  To be honest, that theme did not come until Sunday’s sermon.  Pastor Paul had one line that just struck me, wrapping up all that I was thinking and reading about this week.  He was reading the portion of Scripture concerning the two disciples as they walked on the road to Emmaus.  He was pointing out how Jesus had to explain the scriptures to the disciples.  These scriptures were probably familiar to them, but suddenly, they had real life real world meaning.  That is when Pastor Paul stated – “How different would our lives be if we really believed and lived out the Scriptures?”
That hit me and it started to tie in with my devotionals this week.  I just finished the Gospel of John and started Acts.  It is a great Segway because John spends a lot of time with Jesus and the disciples.  Then in Acts, we pick up where Luke left off in his gospel, with the followers of Jesus wondering what would come next.  Jesus was resurrected.  They were instructed by Him as to what it all meant.  He ascended.  When the Holy Spirit does arrive in Acts chapter 2, their mission begins, they start living the realities of the Scripture.  They start living the reality of the living Word.
Looking at the Face to Face devotional, I am even more hit by that reality.  If I take a prayer from Scripture such as on Day 18 which changes the scripture into a direct prayer:
“I will not let your word depart from my mouth, O Lord, but I will meditate on it day and night so that I may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then I will be prosperous, and I will act wisely” Joshua 1:8 (pg. 51)
And then if I continue one more verse, it gets even more powerful (again, rewording as a prayer):
“This is Your command to me – be strong and courageous!  I will not be afraid or discouraged.  For You, Lord my God, are with me wherever I go.” Joshua 1:9
Now what if I lived my life as is I really believed that!  Would that insurmountable problem at work give me as much angst as I am allowing it to give me?  When my boss comes to me and says “Gregg, you have to take this customer, they are vitally important to the company with over 90,000 licenses at stake.  Many important people are watching this.”  Do worry and fret over this? Or do I stand on the prayer – “I will be strong and courageous”!  Do I take God at His word, or do I just read the passage, think how nice it is and then move on?
If I am truly going to move forward, to be the man of God that I am called to be, to be truly transformed into the image of Jesus, then I must take God and His holy scripture as truth – absolute truth.
Taking another prayer, this time from Day 16:
“If I have been united with you, O Christ, in the likeness of your death, I will certainly also be united with You in the likeness of your resurrection.” Rom. 6:5 (pg. 47)
Even the power of death has no real power, because of Jesus and His resurrection.  If death has no power, then what really does?  Do my circumstances define who I am?  Only if I let them.  But because I am going to take God at His word, and take it seriously, I will know that even death cannot really touch me.  Physical death will probably come one day, but in that I have no fear because of Christ’s resurrection.
Prayer:
Almighty and gracious God, you are Holy and I worship you.  Help me to really believe your Word.  When I read the words You wrote through Your vessels, let them live in me.  Help me to see Your Holy Spirit at work in my life and in the lives of those I am coming into contact with.  In the name of Jesus my Lord and Savior.