Activating the Power of God’s Word

WHEN I QUOTE SCRIPTURE, I KNOW I AM QUOTING THE VERY WORD OF GOD. —BILLY GRAHAM¹

THE EXPRESSION “MY word is my bond” was coined many years ago. Some trace its origins back to the 1500s Scottish proverb “An Englishman’s word is his bond.”² This was said at a time when an agreement was made by the mere integrity of a good man’s spoken acknowledgment, back when an “I will do it” was enough to bind a contract.

Others contend that the concept dates back much farther, to the first few verses of Scripture. As we explored in chapter 1, when God declared, “Let there be light,” there was light. Thus it is said that “My word is my bond” was influenced by the core belief that whenever God gives His Word, it is done.

God’s spoken Word cannot be separated from who He is: El Hanne’eman, the faithful God who maintains His covenants (Deut. 7:9). In fact, because God’s people knew Him as nothing but loyal, they never had a Hebrew word for promise. That is, there was never a distinction between something God said and something He guaranteed. People always assumed that whatever God spoke would happen. Let me explain.

The first time promise is used in our English Bibles (see NRSV) is during the account of God’s spoken word to Abraham and Sarah regarding the birth of their son, Isaac. Multiple times God assured the couple that they would have a child despite their old age and Sarah’s apparent barrenness. In Genesis 21:1 the author recorded that God made good on His Word: “The LORD dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as he had promised.” The original word here for “promise” is a not a Hebrew equivalent, but dābar, which simply means “to say.”³ This is true throughout the remainder of the Old Testament. In each case, the Hebrew word for “promise” is either a form of ‘āmar or dābar, both of which mean someone said or spoke. It wasn’t until many years later that English translators chose to use promise when the word was found within a future context.⁴

What we have learned here is possibly one of the most foundational principles of Scripture: when God speaks, He promises. There are no caveats, no qualifying statements, and no asterisks to denote a disclaimer. For some this may seem obvious. We know, at least theologically, that God does not and cannot lie. So you might think, “Yes, of course His Word is a promise.” But for many others it is comforting and reassuring to know that God’s Word is not the same as that of a human, susceptible to failure or fraud. No, God’s Word is sure to happen. His Word is a signature inked in heaven that cannot be annulled but is supernaturally binding and everlasting.

Balaam’s second oracle in the Book of Numbers illustrates this point well. God prophesies through Balaam:

God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind. Has he promised, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

—NUMBERS 23:19

In the original language, Balaam asserts, “Has he said, and will he not do it? Has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” Of course these are meant as rhetorical questions. As we learned, God’s spoken Word is a force that accomplishes whatever it sets out to do (Isa. 55:11). In other words, God’s Word is His bond.

We all know that the weight of what is spoken and the likelihood of it happening often depend on who said it. If someone broke into my house to steal my belongings, I would understandably be upset and have some things to say to the thief. Still, my words could only wound his emotions; they could not impose a penalty. The words of a judge, however, can do some real damage.

The difference between the power of my words and those of a judge has nothing to do with superficial characteristics such as physical stature, age, or location of birth. Rather, it is the judge’s designated authority, backed by character and integrity, that gives her or his words influence.

Teaching at length about the authority of God would be pointless, for why and how He has authority should be blatantly obvious. He is, after all, the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them (Ps. 146:6). Almighty, Most High, King of kings, and Lord of lords are just a number of the names used to describe His supremacy.

When God speaks, His Words contain the authority of His majesty, which all creation obeys. This is why mountains quake and hills bow down at the mention of His name. His Words are also backed by His character: holy, just, truthful, merciful, loving, faithful, and dependable, just to name a few of His tremendous attributes.

This is precisely what David celebrated in the Psalms. “I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart,” he expressed. “[I] give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything” (Ps. 138:1–2). In essence, David explained that God’s Word is empowered by and carries the authority of His name and His character. This is why His Word is equal to His name. This is what makes it so powerful.

Up until now I have taught the obvious: God’s Word, spoken directly out of His mouth, is powerful to accomplish whatever He intends for it to accomplish. But within the very definition of the word authority is a bit less apparent truth, yet one that the Scriptures most certainly teach.

Authority: the right to act in a specified way, delegated from one person or organization to another⁵

The key word in this definition is delegated, which involves two functions: the power to enact someone else’s word and/or the power to speak with someone else’s authority. Let’s explore what Scripture has to say about each of these functions in relation to God’s Word.

To continue my earlier judicial illustration, the judge does not leave the bench to implement the sentence after a ruling but instead assigns people—bailiffs, officers, counselors, and others—to carry out his or her words. This is part of delegated authority.

God too has empowered others with the role of ensuring that His Word is enacted. In fact, this is one of the primary tasks of the angels.

Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

—PSALM 103:20, ESV

What this psalm reveals is that God has delegated authority to the angels to enact His Word. Think about the voice activation of your modern smartphone assistant. When you speak, “Hey, Siri!” or “OK, Google!” the phone comes to life and awaits your command. I certainly don’t intend to portray the angels as robots, but I imagine that they are “always on,” listening for God’s Word. And when they hear it, they go to work to help make it happen.

The psalm above uncovers a fascinating concept that you have possibly never considered. It describes the role of the angels as “obeying the voice of [God’s] word” (Ps. 103:20, ESV). But what does this mean? We know the Bible is considered the Word of God. So does the psalm intend to say that the angels scour Scripture to make God’s words happen? Perhaps. But I believe the word voice is crucial to understand the full meaning. One author illustrates it in this way: “Take your Bible and place it next to your ear. Stop! Listen! What do you hear? Nothing! Why? Because the Bible does not have a voice unless we give it a voice.”⁶ We—Christians—are given God’s Word to speak. Speaking it is how we give it a voice. In essence, this is what Paul wrote about in his detailing of the full armor of God. He said that in Christ we are clothed in God’s power and given a belt for truth, a breastplate for righteousness, shoes for peace, a shield for faith, a helmet for salvation, and a sword, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:10–17). Indeed, Christians have been given these pieces of armor as gifts from God to use for our benefit. This is delegated authority.

You and I are able to give voice to God’s Word so that when we speak it, it maintains God’s authority as if He has spoken it Himself. When you speak a declaration of the Scripture in Philippians 4:6, “I am not anxious for anything,” you give voice to God’s Word, activating the angels to bring peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). When you declare 1 Corinthians 10:13, saying, “No temptation will overtake me,” the angels respond to it by providing a way of escape.

Only something that is living can create and reproduce. When God declared, “Let there be . . .” into the void at creation, these words were pregnant with His life, which gave them their creating power. And as we have seen, the life that flowed from God’s words still runs through the veins of creation today, sustaining and upholding everything.

All throughout its pages the Bible confirms the truth of the life in God’s words. Speaking to the children of Israel about what sustained them in the wilderness, Moses assured that it wasn’t the manna God provided, but that the sustenance of their lives is “every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut. 8:3). Famished from fasting for forty days, Jesus reaffirmed the truth of the life and nourishment of God’s Word during His temptation by reciting to the devil Moses’s words (Matt. 4:4). Teaching His disciples about the very source of life, Jesus left no room for doubt. “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life,” He instructed (John 6:63). Paul encouraged young Timothy to remain close to the Scripture, which is beaming with life. “All scripture is inspired [given life] by God,” he wrote (2 Tim. 3:16). To the Hebrews, Paul reiterated a similar point: “Indeed, the word of God is living and active” (Heb. 4:12).

That God’s Word still contains life is a key to understanding its miracle-working and transformational power today. To put it simply, God’s Word gives life to whatever it is applied to because it is the very source of life itself.

Proverbs famously teaches that our tongues also have the power to give this life:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

—PROVERBS 18:21

Obviously this verse does not mean that we can lick things to life with our tongues! As it is often used throughout the Bible, the word tongue here is used to mean words. We all know the power of our words either to wound or to build up. Many relationships have been destroyed simply because of the power of death that can come from idle or negative words. We also know the encouragement and confidence that can be given through a single positive affirmation.

Of course nothing is more powerful for transformation, encouragement, faith building, or the activation of miracles than speaking the ultimate source of life—the Word of God itself. And throughout the Bible this is precisely how God instructed His Word to be used. Let’s explore some of these examples now.

After wandering in the wilderness for forty years, the time had come for the children of Israel to finally possess the land God promised. But now that their original leader, Moses, had passed away, the next up, Joshua, needed confidence to take over. In His commission, here’s what the Lord told Joshua would be the secret sauce to his success:

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.

—JOSHUA 1:8

Throughout the Old Testament, the book of the law is synonymous with God’s Word. That is simply what they knew it as. Here God made clear to Joshua that prosperity and success are dependent on a practice of keeping God’s Word in His mouth or in other words, a habit of speaking it.

In most books an introduction prepares readers for what is ahead and instructs them in how to use the book. The first chapter of Psalms serves as the book’s introduction, and the first few verses prepare us well for how to use the words that come after.

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night.

—PSALM 1:1–2

Again, law is used to mean God’s Word, on which the psalmist instructed people to “meditate day and night.” Those of us in contemporary Christianity might not immediately recognize what is meant here by meditating on God’s Word, or perhaps we mistake it for modern meditation, which is often nothing more than intently thinking about something. The Jewish practice of meditation, however, didn’t only consist of thinking and memorizing; it involved a very emotional process of speaking. In fact, part of the Hebrew definition of meditate (Heb. hagah) is “to speak.”⁷

Happiness is promised to those who find delight in God’s Word and who speak it day and night. “They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither,” the psalm continues. “In all that they do, they prosper” (Ps. 1:3). This is a beautiful illustration of refreshment. Whereas you and I might think of trees in a lush forest, the original reader knew mostly of trees in the midst of a desert. This makes the illustration all the more powerful. Those who speak God’s Word on a regular basis will experience the refreshment that streams provide sun-scorched trees that are desperate for water.

Over time the disobedience of God’s people left the nation of Israel defiled by their enemies, scattered, and in ruins. But God often used prophets to foretell of their restoration. Ezekiel was one of these prophets.

The Lord came to Ezekiel in a vision, placing him amid a valley of countless dry bones. Ezekiel understood this to be representative of the state of God’s people—lifeless and scattered. Then God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy—to speak—His Word to the bones.

O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.

—EZEKIEL 37:4–6

Ezekiel reported that as he spoke God’s Word to these bones, he immediately began to see the bones come back together, covered with skin and empowered with life. Certainly the Lord could have restored the nation of Israel back to life without any of this, yet He used His Word, spoken through a human, to initiate the restoration.

The New Testament provides numerous examples of the spoken Word to transfer death or life. Jesus’s words to a fig tree, for example, caused it to wither up and die. “May no one ever eat fruit from you again,” He matter-of-factly cursed (Mark 11:14).

You might be thinking, “Well, yes, Jesus’s words are understandably powerful; He is God!” But we must remember that while on earth, Jesus emptied Himself of His Godhood and took on the form of a human (Phil. 2:7). He performed all His miracles and endured His crucifixion, not because He was God, but because He was empowered with the Holy Spirit. Our hope of doing the same and greater things than Jesus did depends on this being true (John 14:12). We will never be God, but we do have access to the same Spirit who empowered Jesus (Rom. 8:11).

Furthermore, just a few verses later, Jesus revealed to His disciples that they too could do what He did:

Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.

—MARK 11:23

In other words, Jesus instructed His disciples that they could speak to any situation, circumstance, or obstacle and tell it to go. He assured that their words, coupled with faith, would bring it to pass.

The disciples obviously took Jesus’s teachings to heart; they routinely employed the practice of speaking to activate miracles. In the Book of Acts alone, all the miracles detailed by Peter and Paul were accompanied by a declaration founded in the truth of God’s Word.

More than all these, however, the greatest miracle and transfer of life is the gift of salvation, which gives eternal life. Even this miracle is activated by a spoken word:

Miracle	Declaration
Peter heals a lame man (Acts 3:1–11).	“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk” (Acts 3:6).
Peter heals a paralyzed man (Acts 9:33–34).	“Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” (Acts 9:34).
Peter raises a woman from the dead (Acts 9:36–41).	“Tabitha, get up” (Acts 9:40).
Peter heals a crippled man (Acts 14:8–10).	“Stand upright on your feet” (Acts 14:10).
Paul casts out an evil spirit (Acts 16:16–18).	“I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (Acts 16:18).
Paul restores a man to life (Acts 20:9–12).	“Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him” (Acts 20:10).
Paul heals a man of fever and dysentery (Acts 28:8).	No quote is given. But the verse indicates that the man was healed by a spoken prayer and laying on of hands.

If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

—ROMANS 10:9

As we see in these examples, speaking the Word of God activates its power to bring success and prosperity, refreshment, and restoration; to overcome obstacles; and to perform miracles.

I have gone into great detail with all this to build your confidence in the biblical principle that God delegates the power and authority of His Word to His people. Whether spoken directly from His mouth or spoken through you and me, God’s Word is His bond. It never falters; it never fails. It will uphold you through anything you currently face and whatever the future brings. Angels are ready and waiting to ensure that it happens!