THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD While dreams may deal with statues, stalks of corn, and lean and fat cattle, the word of God deals with particular realities. "Dark speeches" characterize dreams and visions, but not God's word. Visions dealt with such things as "four beasts," "grasshoppers," "flying rolls", and "golden candlesticks"; but the word of God speaks plainly. Tomorrow:
"I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for THOU HAST MAGNIFIED THY WORD ABOVE ALL THY NAME." (Psa 138:2) ". . . for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!" (Amplified Bible)
Devotion 26 of 30
When instructing us concerning the "fruit of the Spirit," the Lord did not speak of valleys of bones, fig trees, lamps with oil, or baskets of bread. He spoke specifically of the realities resulting from the communication of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). The mentioning of this fruitage activates the mind with sound conceptions, lofty objectives, and noble aspirations. "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance . . ." (Gal. 5:22-24). These are the products themselves, not likenesses or figures of them.
The kingdom of God is now declared in perceptible terms, not dark speeches and mysterious visions. "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 14:17). These are the substance of the kingdom, not parabolic forms of it.
Only the word of God can be specific. You cannot paint an adequate picture of righteousness. It cannot be thoroughly depicted in a vision, or outlined in a dream. It transcends form and appearance. Only words can bring the real apprehension of spiritual things to men. Man is more mind than body, more thought than sense, more spiritual than flesh and blood!
When God was ready to give the world the law, He spoke it, and had it written. It was not given in a vision, because a vision or dream could not have been as specific as words. When He determined to bring His "power unto salvation," He placed it in words – the "gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16). No dream, however lofty, could possibly have communicated what the gospel has given us.
The word of God excels in this respect. It provides direction that is continual. One small network of commands that illustrates this truth is found in First Thessalonians 5:16-22. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks . . . Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil." How would you depict that in a dream or in a vision? What likenesses would be appropriate to convey such lofty concepts?
During our entire lifetime, there is not a single moment when these directives are not applicable. It makes no difference where we are, under what circumstances we are laboring, or what our personal accomplishments may be. No dream could convey the power of these words! No vision could transmit the conviction carried by these intelligent proclamations. Jesus said of His words, ". . . the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).
This was never said of a dream . . . never said of a vision. The power of God unto salvation is not a dream! The intrusion of divine thought into the unconscious mind does not carry with it moral power . . . the word of God does! The seed of the kingdom – the thing that produces the fruitage – is God's word, not dreams and visions (Luke 8:11).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to treat my mind as a repository in which the truth can be processed.