In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
It is interesting to note that John in describing the Lord Jesus was led by the Spirit to do so using the concept of a word. This should not surprise us, after all one of the things that comes across most clearly in the Bible and throughout the history of humanity is that God speaks and communicates.
It was his voice that God used to create the world, and through his voice he spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. It was through his voice that he spoke to Moses through the burning bush and he used words on stone to give the Israelites the commandments on Sinai. We see the pattern continuing throughout the rest of the Old Testament and then as we reach the Lord Jesus – where we see God speaking most clearly to humanity in his holiness and grace.
God continues to speak today through the Spirit, not only by reading the Bible or by the preaching of the word, but in our hearts in every experience and part of life. There is no corner of the world, no experience or a moment of time that God cannot use to talk to us.
We may hear his voice whisper as we are amazed by the glories of nature’s creativity and beauty. Or sometimes we hear his voice disciplining by seeing the way we react to a difficult situation at work. We may hear his voice calling us back as he leads us into a difficult situation or pulls some idol away from us. From day to day the Christian can experience the beauty of the Lord’s love, guidance, care and relationship as he speaks in so many ways.
What a privilege to think at the beginning of a week that we will walk with the Lord through everything. Let us pray that our eyes, ears and hearts will be open and sensitive to listen to his voice every step of the way.
Steffan Job (Capel y Ffynnon, Bangor)