In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was
in the beginning with God.
I heard a statement this past week that stuck
with me. It went like this, “Words are the bullets
in truth’s bandolier. And poets are the snipers.” I
am not entirely sure what to make of that
saying, but it continues to roll around in my
mind. For some reason, it made me think of
John’s gospel, the first two verses of which are
quoted at the top of this article. I actually am not
confident to describe John as a poet, by the
way, especially since his writings—and writing
skills—are generally considered rudimentary, at
least compared to the other New Testament
authors (to wit, it is a universal truth that the
absolute best NT book for new Greek students
to translate is 1 John. It gets a lot harder after
that, trust me …). I am convinced, however, that
this “son of thunder” had a knack for wording,
especially in the first 18 verses of his gospel
(customarily referred to as the “prologue”).
Proverbs 30:5 reads, “Every word of God
proves true. He is a shield to those who take
refuge in him.” Pause and think about this for a
minute. Seriously. Take a minute. Realize that
whatever God speaks is true. Understand that
whatever God creates is true. Know that
whatever God promises is true. Also, note that
God’s truth—which is anything that God says or
does, since God IS truth—is the source of our
strength. God’s truth is our shelter. It is our
place of refuge.
In Christ, we have been freed from sin in
order that we might live by the Word of God.
May we always endeavor to go deeper into the
Word of God, and therefore into the life of God.
–Ricky
