Walking in the Power of God's Wordنموونە

Day Three: The Refuge

As we’ve spent the last couple of days exploring, the Bible is undoubtedly a gift from God. This fact is completely unquestionable not least because we know of the importance Jesus placed on us immersing ourselves in it during His earthly ministry.

Commonly referred to as the "High Priestly Prayer", in John 17:15-21, Jesus goes to the Father in prayer and not only prays for the disciples who walked with him during His three years of earthly ministry, we also find him praying for us (see verse 20). While this fact in and of itself is something quite extraordinary, what is also quite remarkable is what He actually chooses to pray.

Every single time we turn on the news, we find ourselves faced with what feels like relentless bad news. Sometimes, we don't even have to go as far as to switch on the T.V., as we can sometimes feel the heaviness of despair even closer to home in our day-to-day lives. That's what makes Jesus' prayer so significant.

The transformation in word and deed that occurred for those who watched it being lived out in the person of Jesus led the world to see them differently. This may also be the case for us, as the message we find in Scripture totally informs, and in turn transforms, our words and deeds.

Jesus knew that this would be the case and saw fit to intercede on our behalf. This is why the Word of God is our refuge and hiding place. Within the pages of Scripture, we find the message of Jesus and are given hope.

Verse 17 sees Jesus praying that we might be sanctified in God's Truth. This word "sanctify" stems from the Greek root word "hagiazo", which literally means "to make holy" or "to separate from God". Reading this at first might appear to be counter-intuitive because we know that we're called to be "salt and light" in a world that so desperately needs it.

However, the meaning behind this part of Jesus' prayer doesn't cancel out our need to go and make disciples. Quite the opposite in fact – which is why today’s devotional is all about the Word being our refuge.

In and of ourselves, we are weak, human flesh, and so to be swayed away from the truths of God's Word, or to shift in our perspectives and bend them to fit our desires, is natural, human nature. However, the more time we spend with God in His presence, studying His Word, the more the ways of the world can fade into the background if we allow them to, which means we can be in situations that would have otherwise tempted us or taken us out.

This is why Jesus prays for us – that His message, the Word, might be our refuge and our fortress and the place we run to before we head out into a world in which the enemy comes to seek, kill, and destroy. (See John 10:10)

In John 17:15, Jesus' prayer makes it clear that our mission is to be here on earth making an impact for the Kingdom with the lives that we live. The only way we'll do that and not get sucked in by everything the world has to offer is to find refuge before the fight.