Life-Giving Words

12 Days of Christmas: Day Twelve

"The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."  John 6:63


When God created the world, He spoke everything into existence. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. He spoke us into being. The words of God hold power. There are various places in the Old Testament where God speaks directly to people, and His words are recorded for us to read. In the New Testament, we have the words of Jesus. One of the names given to Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning "God with us", and He still is. Through His Spirit and His words.

I've been reading the words of Jesus on a daily basis for a long time, and they still speak to me in new and fresh ways. Some of the thoughts I've shared during these 12 Days of Christmas are ones revealed to me years ago, and others came fresh as I was writing. How often do you read the words of Jesus? Have you ever made a point of doing so, or do you only "listen" occasionally when they happen to come up?

Perhaps while following my blog this month, you have been encouraged and challenged by my insights into the words of Christ. Perhaps Jesus came out of the manger a bit. Jesus said, "The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."  On the printed page, His words speak truth to our souls. Truth that brings life. It changes us. But only when we read and "hear" them, as if Jesus is speaking them directly to our hearts to teach and inspire us to a better way of life.

I pray you will make reading the words of Jesus a daily habit in the new year. "Keep Christ in Christmas" is a popular holiday slogan. I hope you have done that, and I hope you keep Christ in your year.

Start today with the words Jesus speaks in John 1:38. "What do you want?"  What is your answer to His question? Make it personal. Make it real. Make it life-changing. That's what His words are meant to do.