Wisdom comes only from God’s Word
Martha Olawale
Martin Luther was one of the most influential people of his time and a great force of influence for the basic tenets of our Christian faith. When he decided to drop out of college to become a Monk, he did so out of fear of death because of a thunderstorm encounter. However, his continuous study of the Bible transformed his understanding enough to challenge the status quo and the whole church order. God’s word opened his eyes to see beyond the dictates of men and for him to fall in love with who God is and not what men defined Him to be.
God’s word is enough to lead, guide, teach, uphold, and sustain us as we journey through life. It is not just a bunch of words and letters written in the dusty book on our dressing tables, or the polished one we only pick up on Sunday mornings. God’s word is light, it is alive and true! As dark and confusing as navigating the world is, full illumination comes from learning from the scriptures. Psalms 119:105, says “Your word is a lamp…. And a light.”
As followers of Christ, if we don’t live by the word, we’ll end up looking like the world. Our path is only lighted by God’s word, and it should serve as a single channel through which all our thoughts and conclusions are filtered. What good to a hungry man, is a meal, prepared by the best chef if he is not fed by it? No matter how delicious it smells or looks, until the food is swallowed, there is zero nutritional value. Tasting is not enough because it would simply fuel the hunger and desire to eat it.
I search Google for everything, from trending hairstyles to the best ointment for a bug bite. But I know when it comes to things that pertain to life and godliness, I must stick to the authenticity of God’s word. Before we ask Google or look for the answer on YouTube, maybe we should develop the habit of searching in the most enduring and reliable source of information in the world. God’s word is the greatest treasure anyone can find and has stood the test of time—it’s been burned, banned and many people are still dying because they own it.
When we live by the word, we are changed both within and without and we become who God wants us to be, not perfect through our works but perfect through His continuous workings in us. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Ours is a privileged generation because we have unlimited access to God’s word, including the life of Christ to learn from. What more do we need to be as fearless and shine as bright as Jesus did when He charted this same earth-course? While physical open pages are my favorite, there are other ways to access the Bible now, giving us options to read or listen to it.
I’ve been asking myself these questions and will continue to do so until I get to Heaven; “What will this situation look like, if I look at it through the lens of God’s word?”; “How will I respond to this man/woman if I see them through the examples in God’s word?”; Where will I stand on issues around me if I just take time to sift through them through God’s word?”: “What will my life look like daily if I live based on God’s word?”
