THE LIVING WORD

Today we close our thoughts concerning the Word in the psalms. As we do so, let us also think of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. At the opening of the Gospel of John, we have the majestic words, “the Word was God”, and in verse 14 “the Word was made flesh”, and immediately we are introduced to the One who is the fulfilment of all that is found in the written Word. These two are in such harmony that love for the written Word will drive me to the Living Word, and love for the Living Word will drive me to the written Word. In both the heart of God is revealed.

In Psalm 119. 89, we thought of the eternal character of God’s Word—for ever “settled in heaven”, and this brings to mind the lovely words of the hymn, “Thou art the everlasting Word, the Father’s only Son”. Revelation 1. 4 speaks of the Author of the letters to the seven churches as being the One “which is, and which was, and which is to come”. From eternity to eternity—the ever-living Word.

We thought, too, of the written Word as pure gold, priceless treasure. What believer can deny that these words appropriately describe the Living Word? John Newton was right when he wrote, “my never failing treasury filled with boundless stores of grace”. The Spirit emphasized this when He caused Peter to write, “unto you … he is precious”, 1 Pet. 2. 7.

In Psalm 1, we considered the Word as the believer’s delight—“his delight is in the law of the Lord”. All that he needed he found there. He could not find it elsewhere. Is not this true of our beloved Lord? In John 6. 67, the Lord Jesus speaks to His disciples, “Will ye also go away”. Peter’s answer will come from every believing heart, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life”. “Thou, O Christ, art all I want, More than all in Thee I find.”

This verse speaks of the Living Word and the written Word:

“In want my plentiful supply, In weakness mine almighty power: In bonds my perfect liberty, My light in Satan’s darkest hour, In grief my joy unspeakable, In death my life, my heaven, my all.”