The power of God's Word is nothing like human power. People exercise power through force and violence. God's Word manifests His power through humility, service, and self-sacrifice.
How many protests are needed to make society more just? How many statues must be torn down before history is changed? How many people does it take to tear down cultural edifices? How much power is needed to overthrow the powerful? For the Lord our God, it takes a word. His power is fully expressed with a simple statement: "Let it be." When God speaks, something happens. God spoke and the earth, moon, sun, stars, and everything that exists came into being. That's God's power, His Word.
Without God's Word, the earth would not rotate on its axis. The sun would not shine, rain would not pour down from the skies, and we would not be able to draw a single breath if God's Word didn't make it so. As the apostle said to the men at Athens, "God gives to all life, and breath, and all things." (Acts 17:25) Likewise, Job said, "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4)
That's why we confess Jesus is Lord and God. John writes, "All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing was made that was made." (John 1:3) Jesus is God's Word, who was in the beginning, who became flesh. There is nothing that exists that Jesus hasn't created. Every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every hair on our heads is Jesus' work.
The whole earth declares the glory of God and His almighty power. That power is also at work to save us from sin and death. What we are unable to do on account of sin, God is able to do through His Word who suffered, died, and was resurrected. Only Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse us from all sin. Only the power of God's Word can change the heart of an unbeliever to a believer in Christ Jesus. If God had not exercised His power to save us none of us would have any hope of eternal life.
The power of God's Word is nothing like human power. People exercise power through force and violence. God's Word manifests His power through humility, service, and self-sacrifice. The consequences of human beings seizing power from others most often result in destruction and death. When Jesus manifests His power life is created through Him.
Jesus is God's living Word. God wants to use His power to give life. That's why His Word calls and gathers us around Him. He shelters us from evil, leads us through each day's events, comforts us in our fears and anxieties, and holds us close in His love.
For example, when we pray the Lord's Prayer (the words of which God's Word commanded us to pray so we may be certain God is pleased with our prayer and hears us) we're not only asking our heavenly Father for what we lack, but each petition reveals all that God daily does for us because of His love for us.
God's power is expressed in His Word who created, redeemed, and declares us holy. God's Word gives us the assurance that no matter how much people resort to earthly expressions of power, which seeks to take for itself by force what is not given in the way of gift, He is faithful and just, and will not abandon His promise to us. God loves us and cleanses us in the blood of His Word, Jesus Christ, who wields true power that the world cannot understand. He is our Savior and according to His promise, we are always safe, so that even in death He will give us new life.
