by Rhonda Jones

Here’s one of my childhood memories that has influenced my life to this day: My dad was an avid fisherman and taught me to love it as well. He provided for us by catching a lot of salmon out of Depot Bay, Oregon. Thus, my mom became an expert at cleaning and preparing salmon. One night at dinner a fairly large salmon bone got stuck in my throat which wouldn’t go down for anything-I was choking severely. Not knowing quite what to do, my dad swooped me up in his arms and stuck his little finger down my throat to try and reach the bone. I gagged and coughed; and after many tries, he got it out! From that point on I could not swallow pills. Years later at the age of seventeen I had to take some meds due to sickness. Up to that point if I had to take meds of any kind, I would crush the bitter pills, mix them in jam and swallow them. I was so tired of having to do this. I saw a plaque on the wall that quoted Matthew 19:26. So I took the plaque in my hands, stood in front of the mirror and said to myself, “…with God all things are possible; with God all things are possible; with God all things are possible.” I put the pill in my mouth, sipped my water, tilted my head back and with faith and a little fear, swallowed the pill!

That was really the first time I learned how to apply God’s word to a very specific situation in my life. I needed faith and inspiration and it came directly from God’s word. Since then, I have come to treasure the Word of God in my life. It brings hope, inspiration, faith, wisdom, direction for my future and strength to overcome trials (and so much more-I could go on for a LONG TIME)! Here are some specific verses that have built my faith and hope as a Christ follower:

Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Hebrews 4:12 “For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me. And I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

And here’s a verse about how the Holy Spirit works in our lives when we trust God with everything: Philippians 4:6,7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Another mysterious truth for our human minds to try and grasp is found in Isaiah 55: 9-11 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Recently I’ve been pondering the encounter Jesus had with Satan in the wilderness from Matthew Chapter 4. Although Jesus was the Son of God, he defeated Satan by using a weapon that everyone has at their disposal: “The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (See Ephesians 6:17). He met each temptation with scriptural truth. And as Christ Followers, we should learn to do the same. I am not perfect — far from it! But I am learning that the most efficient weapon I have at my disposal as a Christian is the Word of God. It is alive, active, ready to work in every situation in my life if I only apply it. And the best way to do that is to memorize it. Psalm 119: 11 says, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” I have so much more to learn about applying scripture to my life; but I hope these truths that I’ve shared have brought some encouragement and faith to your heart today. They are our sure foundation.

This Sunday, Pastor Tim will be continuing his series. Be sure to grab your journal or iPad and join us on Facebook Live at 10:25am, YouTube Live, or our Washington Cathedral website or App. This message will enlighten your understanding in a healthy, new way.

See you Sunday.