6 | PUT GOD'S WORD INTO PRACTICE

Put the Word to work and the work will be successful by the Word.

In other terms- put God’s word into practice. Don’t just read the word. Study the word; become the word.

This week's theme in my personal bible study is God’s Word and the verse for Monday was Psalms 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” A lamp is a form of guidance in the dark to bring light as we navigate the road we walk to get to the final destination. 

The Bible is our lamp. It is our source of guidance. It’s not just something that we read and interpret to find it’s deeper meaning. No. We are to literally carry the Bible with us in all that we do, to embody the Bible for what it is and utilise the power it holds to help lead us to our destiny. It’s not a secondary support but our primary support. It’s what we are to gravitate to, what we are to put into our focus and centre of our life.

We are to carry the Bible not only in our mind as we gain knowledge of its word but in our heart and soul. Without a heartbeat, one cannot be alive. Without a soul, one cannot embrace every intricate and simple experience life holds.

God gave us the Holy Spirit that lives in our body, specifically in our heart and soul. By the Holy Spirit, we carry God in all that we are and all that we do. By the Holy Spirit, we are able to put God’s word into practice.

The Holy Spirit lives in us. It is a branch of the Holy Trinity and as trees require seeds to help it grow, we require the Holy Spirit for our growth.

We require the Holy Spirit to practically live in the Lord’s way.

So, how do we acquire the Holy Spirit? Let’s look into 2 different aspects of the Holy Spirit: its discerning power and its fruits. 

1. Firstly, we are to seek and not deny the Holy Spirit.

1st Thessalonians 5:19- Do not quench the Spirit. 

That means do not depart from the Spirit. Do not distance yourself from the Spirit. Do not stifle the Spirit. To quench is to satisfy and so by not quenching the Spirit we are not satisfying the Spirit by ensuring our lives are lives that symbols God not just in what we say but in what we do.

Quench is a synonym to stifle. To stifle is to make someone suffocate, unable to breathe and can be viewed as an act of restraint against oneself.

Reading the above definition only speaks of negative connotations to the word ‘stifle.’ This is why the verse is so clear and straight to the point. It is a statement of how not to act. We may read this at face value and just make a mental note to know not to suffocate and restrain the Spirit. But there’s a greater meaning to this.

In the Bible, it is made clear how God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit are three in one.

In the Bible, it is also made clear how as believers of Christ, we no longer live but that Christ lives in us and so the life we now live in the body is lived by the faith in Jesus who loves us and gave Himself for us.

In knowing of this, the verse, ‘do not quench the spirit’, is simultaneously saying do not stifle God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Do not suffocate God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Do not restrain God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The act of discernment is the ability to judge well.

In acting on discernment we are actively living in faith, trusting in God’s ways and ensuring we practically follow God’s word in our lives.

How can you fulfil such act if you decide to ignore and reject the Spirit by stifling Him? Indirectly or directly deciding to stifle the Spirit is choosing to live in the flesh of this secular world and distance yourself from the Only One who will, does and do unconditionally loves you, wants nothing but the best for you and pushes you to succeed.

Do not stifle the Spirit.

This is not only a statement but an act of instruction. We must act on such instruction by living accordingly to its rule. Do not stifle the Spirit but rather embrace the Spirit. Live by the fruits of the Spirit, follow in His ways, truth and life, pray unto Him, praise Him, build that relationship with Him and in doing so, know that you can never be limited by the ways of this world as you serve the living God, The Most High.

This is the instruction we are to follow. In suffocating and restraining the Spirit we are limiting the value of the presence of Jesus in our lives. To stifle the Spirit would mean to eradicate us having the fruits of the Spirit, the mind of the Spirit, a heart of the Spirit and the judgement of the Spirit. God forbid, but it would mean that we would be living without the Spirit and again God forbid, to live without the Spirit would make us lack in our ability to discern which can hinder how effectively we can put God’s word into practice in our lives.

Again, I say do not stifle the Spirit.

2. Secondly, we are to embody the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-25- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 

In embodying the fruits of the Spirit, we walk in the Spirit, therefore walking in Christ and letting Him lead.

The path to follow Christ starts from viewing Him as our leader because that is exactly who He is. God leads. He leads us to the promise land, evergreen pastures, success, our destiny. He leads us to peace and healing from past pain and sorrow. He leads us to be found from being lost. He leads. God leads.

To lead is to follow. It is not just the mere act of following one foot in front the other as we walk on God’s pathway to everlasting life. To lead is to follow the mechanisms, mannerisms and manifesto of Christ. It’s not enough to just walk on God’s path. We must be embodying everything Christ is in our lives as we follow His lead.

Looking at the fruits of the Spirit, here are 9 fruits we must follow on a daily basis. In following Christ, we no longer live in the flesh but in the Spirit so we must be accountable as we live in the Spirit to embody the fruits of the Spirit. Remember from previous episodes and also mentioned here earlier on in this episode that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is three in one so embodying the fruits of the Spirit, is embodying the fruits of God, therefore following Christ in exactly both who and what He is.

This being, to love one another. To be of joy and provide others joy. To be of peace and provide others peace. To be patient with oneself and others. To be kind with oneself and spread kindness. To be a person of goodness and spread goodness. To be faithful to our Lord Most High. To be gentle to oneself and others. To have self-control for oneself, in effect remaining in God’s discipline as we interact with others.

These are essential elements for when we follow Christ. We shouldn’t hinder, decrease or limit the extent to which we embody the fruits of the Spirit because of anything and/or anyone. When following Christ, we must live boldly in His word. His word is the way, truth and life. 

We must testify of God. We must make Him our anchor. We must make Him our leader and let the world know we live a life led by Him at all times, in broad daylight and nighttime, at all times.

We shouldn’t be weary of the things of the world when we follow God. We don’t need to be. Yes, life can be scary at times, it can be filled with doubt and uncertainty, but when we follow Christ and put His word into practice, we don’t need to dwell in the doubt, fear and uncertainty as He will always make a way. We must follow Christ wholeheartedly, giving Him our all, always.

We wouldn’t be where we are without Him. We wouldn’t be where we are going without Him. He is the giver of peace, freedom and better days. So don’t worry about the things of the world, choose to follow Christ, let Him lead, put His word into practice in all that we do and watch what He will do.

Remember, Trust in the Lord, Love like the Lord, Walk with the Lord.TLW

who do we follow? thelawdsway