ESOCS Devotional 7 October 2023 – God’s Word is Dependable II
MEMORY VERSE: “Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.” Luke 24:45
TEXT: LUKE 24: 36 – 53 (AMPC)
Now while they were talking about this, Jesus Himself took His stand among them and said to them, Peace (freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin) be to you!
37 But they were so startled and terrified that they thought they saw a spirit.
38 And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts andquestionings arise in your hearts?
39 See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Feel and handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.
40 And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.
41 And while [since] they still could not believe it for sheer joy and marveled, He said to them, Have you anything here to eat?
42 They gave Him a piece of broiled fish,
43 And He took [it] and ate [it] before them.
44 Then He said to them, This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything which is written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
45 Then He [thoroughly] opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures,
46 And said to them, Thus it is written that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer and on the third day rise from ([b] among) the dead,
47 And that repentance [with a view to and as the condition of] forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
48 You are witnesses of these things.
49 And behold, I will send forth upon you what My Father has promised; but remain in the city [Jerusalem] until you are clothed with power from on high.
50 Then He conducted them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up His hands, He invoked a blessing on them.
51 And it occurred that while He was blessing them, He parted from them and was taken up into heaven.
52 And they, worshiping Him, went back to Jerusalem with great joy;
53 And they were continually in the temple celebrating with praises and blessing and extolling God. Amen (so be it).
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
God’s Word is fully dependable. It is capable of producing what it is set to. Hebrew 1:3c says “…upholding all things by the Word of his power …” In another version it states it this way “… He regulates the universe by the mighty power of his command…” (TLB) God used His dependable Word to produce the universe as we see it, not just to regulate it only, this is stated in Hebrew 11:3: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made by things which do appear.”
In the Living Bible version, it is rendered this way: “By faith – by believing God – we know that the world and the stars – in fact, all things – were made at God’s command; and that they were all made from things that can’t be seen.”
The Word of God is full of productive, creative and reproductive essence and can be depended upon to deliver on any engagement according to God’s will. God wanted to create a new world where in there are no materials to make things He wanted; He engaged His Word. And His dependable word produced the expected result. The dependable Word of God is full of power.
The Word of God is dependable, it contains the revelation of its own truth: “…thy word is truth” (John 17:17b).
The Word of God is the revelation of the Way, Truth and Life – Lord Jesus Christ. Knowing Him is knowing the Truth. And it is only the Word that can reveal Him. Any other revelation through dream, visions and encounters that are not consistent with the Word of God as revealed in the scriptures cannot stand. This is why He referred the disciples to the dependable word of God where it was written concerning Him (read Luke 24:44 – 47 again).
However, to fully unlock the power and revelation contained in the dependable Word of God one thing is needful.
In the memory verse, verse 25 the passage said He opened their understanding that they might understand the scriptures. Beloved, without understanding the books and the power thereof are ever closed. This is the reason the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes know so much letters of the scripture but lack the revelation and power, when in reality they believe they know. Jesus told the Sadducees in Matthew 22:29 “that they do err, not knowing the scriptures, or the power of God.”
Until one’s understanding is opened to understand the scriptures one cannot work in the reality of the dependable Word of God. No wonder then proverbs 4:7 says in all your getting get understanding. According to the parable of the sower in Matthews 13:23, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word; and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, and some sixty, some thirty.”
- I walk in power and authority because I walk by the dependable Word of God. The Word of God is my life and my reality every day.
- Father, thank you for quickening and opening my understanding of your word.
FURTHER READING: 2 Chronicle 1:1–16; Esther 8:1–end; Jude 1:17-end
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ESOCS Devotional 7 October 2023
