The Importance of the Word by Minister Owen Mitchell

Before the Pastor started preaching, this word provoked my thoughts, “The Importance of the Word”. The scripture reading was taken from Jeremiah 18:1-6. In verse one the Bible says, “The Word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord ….” Imagine this, prior to any movement, there was a word.

In verse 2, the Lord said to Jeremiah, Arise, Go and Hear (listen). These words came to the servant of the Lord emphatically, arise, go and hear. How essential are these words to our Christian Walk? Is the Lord speaking to you and are you listening? “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me,” John 10:27.

To arise simply means, to move from a position of inactivity, sleep, defeat or spiritual death and to move into total dependency (faith) on the Lord our God. The Hebrew word for arise means, to stand up and in the Greek, it means to raise up. Ephesians 5:14, “…. Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.”

Go, signifies an active faith and obedience, a divine commission and command, evidenced in the great commission, Matthew 28:19, “go ye therefore ….” Hearing is giving attention, listening to commands and teachings; it emphasizes the importance of obedience. “Now faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” Romans 10:17.

The importance of the word of God is to position and to shape us into who He wants us to be. The word strengthens, it leads, it is a shelter in the time of storms. It restores but it also reproves and rebukes, 2 Timothy 4:2. It is “…. Quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword ….,” Hebrew 4:12. Is the word directing you?

God Bless.