Taking Jesus at His Word

I am probably one of the only people who gets excited about cross referencing Bible verses. I will often read a verse in Scripture that just gets me excited, causing me to long for more. When I look to the sidenotes in my Bible and do not see any cross references, I tend to get a little disappointed.

Well, this morning as I was doing my Bible study, I cross referenced a verse in Daniel 4 and was led to Numbers 23:19. I cross referenced Numbers 23:19 and guess what?! I was led to 6 other verses. I nearly jumped out of my skin! I love it when God's Word cross references itself. It's the most amazing thing, because I believe that is one of the main ways that God confirms specific truths in our lives - By using His Word to affirm, then re-affirm that truth. It also very much put me in the mood for a new journal. Perhaps a LifeWay trip is in my near future. Hmm yes, I do think that would be a good idea. Maybe a fall-themed journal. My current Lilly Pulitzer journal has been looking a bit too summer-timey lately, come to think of it.

Anyways, here are the verses God used in my life this morning to confirm something specific:

Numbers 23:19 - "God is not a man, that He should lie, not a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Isaiah 55:9 - "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Hosea 11:9 - "For I am God, and not man - the Holy One among you."

1 Samuel 15:29 - "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man, that He should change his mind."

Malachi 3:6 - "I the LORD do not change."

Titus 1:2 - "A faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time."

James 1:7 - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

This morning I found myself wrestling with God. I felt sure that He had perhaps forgotten about me. Felt certain that He would fail to fulfill a specific desire of my heart. A desire that only He could have placed there in the first place. Something that He has very much led me to surrender and commit to, time and time again. Regardless of the fact that God was the initiator of this specific desire, I was still terribly frightened that God had forgotten me. That He would fail to fulfill His plan in this one particular area of my life. Oh no! I must remind Him of how very serious I am in committing to His call! What if He has forgotten me?! What if He has given that task to someone else because I have been too busy?! What if He no longer finds me qualified? Maybe I made the whole thing up in my head ....

Oh how those thoughts of ours can so quickly get out of control. So, this morning I was clearly struggling with whether or not God had forgotten about fulfilling a specific promise in my life. Moments after this worry spell, I open the precious Word of God to read Numbers 23:19 which reaffirms the truth in my heart that God does not lie, that He will fulfill the promises He gives us, that He will act on our behalf. And He did not stop there ...

He provided 6 other affirmations of His promise-keeping character, of His faithfulness in fulfilling His purposeful plan. And all of this, He did through His Word.

In John chapter 4, Jesus is in Cana in Galilee. The same place where He had turned water into wine. A royal official approaches Jesus, sharing with Him that his son is dying. "The royal official said, 'Sir, come down before my child dies.' Jesus replied, 'You may go. Your son will live.' The man took Jesus at His Word and departed" (John 4:49-50).

Did you get that? The man took Jesus at His Word and departed (John 4:50b). Jesus spoke. The royal official listened. That was that.

How often does God speak something over our lives, only for us to spend the rest of our lives in question as to whether or not He really said that very thing? How sad to think that we live in such spiritual denial.

So, what happened to that little boy? Did Jesus heal him?

"While he [the royal official] was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, 'The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.' Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, 'Your son will live.' So he and all his household believed" (John 4:51-53).

Of course Jesus healed the boy as soon as He spoke it! He spoke it ... and it was done. Of course those two happenings occurred at the very same time! Why? Because our God is not a man, that He should lie. Because our God does not change His mind. Because our God does not speak and then not act. Because our God does not promise and then not fulfill (Numbers 23:19).

What, dear sister, is God speaking over you through His Word? What is He asking you to believe Him for? What has Jesus promised you? What task has He called you to? Let's not get tossed around today in the waves of doubt. Instead, let's curl up on this rainy day with a blanket, some coffee and maybe even a new journal, and write down all the ways God is confirming His call on your life through His Word. Take those cross references in your Bible, and use them to claim His Promises.

And then walk on ...

Taking Jesus at His Word.