Hebrews 4: 12

'This is my daily bread. This is MY daily bread. Your very word, spoken for me.'(Hillsongs)

I'm assuming, by the very fact that you have signed up to receive these Bible Studies, that you are interested in God's word. I mean, you read it, every day -and boy, was that a hard habit to get into! You listen to Bible tapes in the car, you read commentary books, and always make notes at church. So does the bloke down the road. Not the Bible though, no - his is the Haynes manual. Saved up for it he did, to read about all the ins and outs of his little E-reg Metro that sits in his drive. It's one thing after another with that car- don't know why he doesn't do anything about it - he's got all the instructions. He just puts up with the loose handbrake cable and slipping seat when he's got the solution sitting proudly on his shelf. Ridiculous! Yet that's exactly what we all do!

It's kinda funny, but not really. I mean, what are we playing at? We sometimes put up with stuff that we have the authority to remove from our lives. That authority comes from the 'word'. This is what the big Man says about His 'word'. 'God's word is alive and working and is sharper than a double-edged sword.' (Hebrews 4:12). I'm using this as my base scripture, so that you can get hold of this and understand the strength and reliability of God's 'word'. God's 'word' lasts forever. Whatever happens, it lasts, it's there. So therefore, every scripture that exists is true, and is alive, and has POWER behind it. So, for you who are struggling with temptation, use God's word like Jesus did (Matthew 4). For those of you who struggle with thoughts of self-doubt, know that it is God in you that will succeed, and claim that success (Philippians 4:13). For those of you who are trapped in a web of low self-esteem, know how much God loves you (Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 139) and claim God's 'word' over your negativity! Let me stop you in your tracks of accepting your problems. Please understand that God's 'word' is YOUR daily bread, written for you.

There is a painful issue that I have neglected though; long suffering, unanswered prayer. Who knows why some people have to suffer - I guess God knows the reason for every individual case. Someone very close to me has just been in such a situation. A fabulous man of God, he has just been going through what I would call the 'Job' phase of his life, experiencing heartbreaking difficulties at home, with his family, and at work. I kept believing and asking God for the tough times to end, as I hoped that's what God's purpose was, but no - prayers seemed unanswered. Things just kept getting worse.

BUT, God's 'word' has an answer for that too. Romans 8:28 says that, 'everything works together for the good of those who love the Lord.' That's the bit of the 'word' that my friend and myself applied, and it was that that helped us get through the tough times. Although it seemed like our prayers weren't being answered, it was in fact his very 'word', spoken for us, that got us through. For that person, things are much better now - God worked things out wonderfully. Sometimes God lets us go through times of 'unanswered prayer' in order to strengthen us, or maybe for other reasons we don't understand. Just remember, that whatever happens, God's 'word' ALWAYS stands. It is the ultimate truth, and it is spoken for you. Don't let it just be something you know and understand, instead, believe it, apply it to your life and let God repair those problems.