How to Have a Real-Word Experience
One week not too long ago my family and I were able to get away. We decided to go to Orlando for the week. I am sure we were probably the only out-of-state family there who didn’t go to Disney but believe it or not, there is a lot to do even if you bypass Disney.
This was the first time my children had ever been on a plane. I had previously told them about flying, even showed them pictures and videos I had taken, but there is nothing like the real thing.
I so enjoyed observing their expressions, excitement, and wonder as we boarded the plane. I was extremely excited for them. “Look guys, there is the city of Pittsburgh! There are the mountains. Look, the ocean!” I had seen these sights many times before from above, but they had not, which made it exciting for me. My excitement as a father was wrapped up in their excitement. I was thrilled they were able to experience something I had many times before.
I John 1 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
John was writing about an experience he had. An experience like none of his readers were able to enjoy or even consider. We could say he was showing them the “pics and videos.” He was describing the relationship he was able to have with Jesus. They were thinking how amazing it must have been for him to be able to see, lean on, watch, and enjoy the person and teachings of Christ.
Then John boggles their minds. He tells them they can have the same experiences. He tells them they can enjoy the same joys he had by experiencing Christ the same way he did. But how? Jesus is gone.
They can by experiencing Christ through His Word. The Word was just as available for them as it was for John. John is saying through the Word they can see, hear, handle, and experience Christ. Christ is just as real through his preserved words as he was in person to John. Peter goes as far as saying that the Words of Scripture are even more certain and authentic than the actual words he heard from the mouth of God. Amazing!
“Since God is not a physical being, his presence with us is different from the presence of a physical object or person. God’s speech is never separated from his personal presence.”1
So then, through the writings of these men, and the hand of God, we are able to experience the presence of God today. We are able to open our Bibles and hear, see, and experience fellowship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is through this fellowship we can truly experience joy. We can be experiencing time with Jesus, which results in true joy and excitement (John 15).
The word is God. When we experience the word of God, we experience God. When we experience God, we experience his word
If you feel you have been missing out on this fellowship and experience let me encourage you to “jump on the plane.” I would recommend starting in the book of Psalms. You can experience God through David’s experiences. Allow yourself to praise and know God through the words of God.
Psalm 56:4,10- “In God I will praise his word…”.
Treg Spicer is pastor of Faith Baptist Church – Morgantown, WV. Follow his blog here. We republish his articles by permission.
- Frame, The Doctrine of the Word of God [↩]