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The Living Word

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Dec 29, 1910

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 87, No. 52.

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The Living Word

By Editor

Editorial

The Living Word

At a recent prayer-and-testimony meeting, some one spoke of the blessings of the study of the Sabbath-school lessons on the life of Christ. Then one after another rose, and told how the study had brought a greater fulness of faith and joy into the life.
It is because the study of the life of Jesus in his Holy Word is more than the study of a true narrative of his life and work on earth for us. The Holy Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit. And the words are living words. They give not only the true history, and repeat the true sayings, of Jesus; but there are in these words, received by faith, the life and power that transform the soul. The hymn speaks truly,— “Sweet Book! in thee my eyes discern The image of my absent Lord; From thy instructive page I learn The joys his presence will afford.”
As we study it with our hearts, the whole story is alive. The voice of Jesus still speaks pardon and peace to the sinner, and we hear his invitation to lay every burden down and find rest.
Neesima, of Japan, one of the earliest converts in that heathen land, had put in his hand a strange book, in Chinese characters. It was the Gospels. He read. And he says: “As I read, I was taken captive by the story of His life.”
It is in order that we may live with this life daily, and abide in him continually, that God has given to us his holy Word, that “liveth and abideth forever.”
Let us exalt the Word. “Thou hast magnified thy word,” says the psalmist, “above all thy name.” It is the only means of sustaining the spiritual life. Man shall live “by every word . . . of God.” We can no more get on physically without eating bread than spiritually without daily feeding on the bread of life by the Word. It is food to the soul, and the water of life. We must study the Bible, and live with it as our daily companion.
Only as we minister the Word to others, may we bring to them the help that they must have. Every gift in the church, whether of apostle or prophet, teacher or evangelist, is given but to lead us into the green pastures of Holy Scripture.
The Word is our defense, and the weapon of our warfare. It is our hope and our life. Feed upon it; drink from its living fountains; handle it; look upon it; breathe in the soul, the spirit, of it; let its voice ever sound to hearing ears; and as we find it the word of our own salvation, we shall find also the power and the grace to obey the command, “Preach the word.” A Japanese missionary, Miss Dooley, has written a fitting prayer-hymn for the gospel worker:—
“Father, we have thy Word, That which our ears have heard, Sent forth from thee. With voice and life, we pray, May we, to souls astray, What thou dost bid us say, Speak faithfully. “Christ, who our lives hast bought, Who our lost souls hast sought, We turn to thee; And by thy cross of shame, This, this, the prayer we frame, May we, in thy dear name, Speak faithfully. “Thou Spirit, Tongue of Fire, To whom bends each desire, We wait on thee; Thou hast our spirits sealed, Thou hast to us revealed The Sword, and we would wield It faithfully. “Lord God, unto our hearts Thy Word its life imparts; We pray to thee, That we thy quickening Word, Thy healing, living Word, Thine everlasting Word, Speak faithfully.”
W. A. S.