Robert Houk Hitchcock

Hebrews 4:12 
     For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

     God's Word: it is the most powerful thing on earth.  More powerful than all the power of all the nations of earth combined.  More powerful than all of nature.  More powerful than all the men that have lived.  More powerful than the media.  More powerful than the entire kingdom of the Adversary.  Second to none.  It is Life- giving.  It is powerful (energetic.)  It is so sharp that nothing passes its glance unnoticed.  It divides soul and spirit.  It discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Quite a Word this is! 

Hebrews 11:1-3 
     Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 
     For by it the elders obtained a good report. 
     Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

     Some of you may have "framed" a house before.  It's a lot of work and a lot of fun.  Well, how about the "worlds?"  

Here is the word "framed" = katartizo 
a) to render, that is, to fit, sound, complete  
b) to fit out, to equip, to put in order, to arrange, to adjust to fit or frame for oneself, to prepare  

     All that you've ever looked at up in the sky in the heavens...at night at all the millions of stars... the moon in its fullness on a harvest night... 
"shooting stars" darting across the night sky...  During the day, the sun in all of its warmth and brilliance.  All of the trees, all of the plants, all of the animals, all of the rocks, the minerals, the lakes, the rivers, the mountains, the insects, the _______, all of everything was framed by one thing: the Word of God.  Interesting isn't it?! 

     God put together and put in order all things of the universe by the Word.  It was equipped, ordered, arranged, prepared and completed by the Word of God. 
Quite a Word this is! 

Genesis 1:3 
     And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 

     As if we didn't realize there was light. Why did God tell us about it?  For us, light has always been here.  We've never known "darkness upon the face of the deep."  Have you ever visited a cavern or a cave, like Carlsbad or Mammoth? They take you way down below the earth and then shut all the lights off.  WOW is it dark!  Not a sliver of light.  Total and complete darkness.  That's what it was like before God turned back on the light.  We're used to seeing the light now, and it really is hard to imagine what it was like when "darkness was upon the face of the deep."   
     God said it: He spoke it into being.  Now I don't know how He did that, I just know THAT He did it.  The Word was: Let there be light. The result (of no surprise): there was light.  Just spoke it right into being. 
Quite a Word this is! 

Genesis 1:4-10 
     And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 
     And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 
     And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 
     And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 
     And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 
     And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 
     And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 

     The record of Genesis continues with the all encompassing description of all of God's hard work, His intense labor and raw materials and efforts and plans and .....well, not exactly.  What continues is: God SAID.   
     God SAID: let there be a firmament (that's the heavens you know)....and it was so.  God SAID: let the waters..be gathered together...and it was so.    God spoke it into being. 
     The rest of the records in Genesis continue with the same theme: God SAID it: it was so.  God SAID it: it was so.  God SAID it: it was so.   
Quite a Word this is! 

Isaiah 55:8-12 
     For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 
     For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 
     For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 
     So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 
     For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 

     It's difficult to admit it, but one wise observer noted than mankind has such a distrust of God's Word because man knows that he never keeps his own word. 
     God has that covered: my thoughts are NOT your thoughts.  My ways are NOT your ways.  We speak something and it never ever happens. "I'll take the garbage out, honey."  Oops, forgot.  "The check is in the mail."  Oops, forgot to say which day.  " I'll meet you at 7:00pm sharp."  Oops, I ran into traffic.  You get the idea.  Man's word is not worthy to be trusted much of the time. 
     Not so with God's Word. 
     So shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my [God's] mouth.  God always means what He says. God always says what He wants to say.  And God's Word will always happen. He has never once lied.  He can't lie.  God's Word accomplishes exactly that which God intends for it to accomplish.  How many of you can say that?  Our "To Do" lists are rarely all accomplished. Our "honey do" lists are never even begun. 
     God's Word always accomplishes that which God intends; it 
does not return unto Him void like our words do to us.  That's the integrity of God's Word. 
What a Word this is! 

How about a few examples? 

Psalm 119:89 
     For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.  

     The Word is settled: established, fixed, steady, steadfast.  It is not going anywhere.  It IS. 
What a Word this is! 

Psalm 119:105 
     Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  

     The Word is a lamp and a light. Want to know where you're going?  Look at the Word. 
What a Word this is! 

Psalm 119:133 
     Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. 

     Order is of God and Order is in the Word. Life is ordered by the Word of God. 
What a Word this is! 

Psalm 119:140 
     Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. 

     The Word is not only 99.44% pure like the Ivory soap; it is 100% pure.   
What a Word this is! 

Psalm 119:160 
     Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous 
judgments endureth for ever.  

     From start to finish, from beginning to end, from front to back and top to bottom: the Word is true.  You can count on it.  It endures forever.  
What a Word this is! 
  
Psalm 119:162 
     I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. 

     The Word is better than riches.  It is more sure than the surest stocks, bonds, securities, or bank. 
What a Word this is! 

Psalm 138:2 
     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.  

That pretty well sums it up: God's magnified Word.  
What a Word this is! 

Jeremiah 15:16 
     Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. 

     When you find the Word of God, you will find your hunger for it continues to grow and grow and grow. Do any of us eat and get so satisfied from one meal that we never eat again?  Or go a week or two without eating again?  Hunger is a renewable resource!  It doesn't go away permanently after one good meal. 
     The Word is nourishing to our lives. We still hunger after it, knowing that it framed the heavens, that it is pure, that it has integrity, that God backs it up. 
What a Word this is! 

John 17:17 
     Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  

     God's Word is unchanging and unchangeable. It is truth. It doesn't need additions.  
What a Word this is! 

     A few spoken or written  words, when they are The Word of God, is all that it takes.  Look at these few simple examples of a few simple words that were spoken and the incredible results that happened. 

Mark 1:40-42 
     And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 
     And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. 
     And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. 

     "I will, be thou clean."  Now that's 5 words in English (2 in Greek!.)  Did those few little words have an impact on anyone?  How could 5 little words do that?  You'd think we'd have to have thorough explanations, and calculations and investigations. Nope.  Five (5) little words. Of course, you still have to remember the famous four words, "let there be light."  
What a Word this is!  "I Will, be thou clean!"  

Mark 3:1-5 
     And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 
     And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 
     And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 
     And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 
     And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 

     First Jesus told him to "Stand forth."  That was God's Will for the man.  Stand and be counted.  "Want your healing?  Well, the time has arrived." Jesus condensed it to 2 words: "Stand forth."

     Next Jesus said, "Stretch forth thine hand."  You'd have thought he might have said, " You know friend, God is incredibly great , and you have a need, and well, you know, I have healed a few people, and if you're ready, I'm ready, and...."  All that wasn't and isn't necessary: "Stretch forth thine hand." That's all that was said. That was all that was NEEDED to be said. That was the need. That was the solution. Look at the power and the quickness and the sharpness of God's Word.  
What a Word this is! 

Acts 3:1-7 
     Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 
     And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; 
     Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. 
     And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. 
     And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 
     Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 
     And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength.

     Not only did Jesus Christ have the power of God, but he made available the new birth which has enabled all believers to walk in the power of God. "In the name of Jesus Christ...rise up and walk."   "Rise up and walk."  Four little words. What a dynamic impact on someone's life. 
What a Word this is! 

     God's Word lives and abides forever. God's Word framed the heavens. God's Word is living. God's Word is truth. And you and I have that Word of God sitting on our laps (or laptops!) We have direct access to God's Word.  What a privilege.  What an honor. What a responsibility. What a joy. 
What a Word this is!