Hey all, I am so excited to start this series with you and pour into God’s Word together. There is so much to discover! I pray that we take hold of all the beautiful nuggets of truth that he wants to implant within our hearts. There is freedom in his Word! So let’s get started with Day 1 of the new video blog series “Freedom Moments In the Word” (video on the homepage). I hope you enjoy it!
Freedom Verse of the Day
James 1:21 AMPC
If we receive the Word implanted in us, it has the power to save our souls.
Deeper Meaning & Word Highlights
There are a few words in this verse to highlight for a deeper understanding: soul, the Word, and implanted.
Implanted means to “insert or set securely or deeply” or “to insert into living tissue”. I got really excited when reading this definition because the first image that popped into my mind was the picture of God’s Word being inserted into our living, beating hearts! This concept will have even more meaning in a moment when we look at why this verse is so important for us today.
When we see the word soul in the bible it is referring to our mind (thinking/beliefs), our will(choices/actions), and our emotions (feelings we experience). The soul within us is what needs set free. We are 3 part beings: body, soul, and spirit. When we accept Christ our spirit is made perfect and complete, however, our soul can still be a bit messy. So this verse is speaking to healing our negative perceptions and the things we do and feel that are not lining up with how God sees us.
The Word in this verse is referring of course to the Word of God. The amazing thing is the scripture says that the Word is “God Breathed”. So when we are soaking in the words God inspired the authors to write he is breathing life into our soul in the process!
Today’s Application
The beauty of today’s verse is it is tied to the “New Covenant” God made with the Israelites and our generation today in Jeremiah 31:33-34. The first covenant was given to Moses on stone tablets and was external. It was a legal agreement. However, now he is making a covenant with his people that is so much more personal. The second covenant would be written on their hearts-our hearts! God said, “I will put my instructions deep within them and I will write them on their hearts!” He wants to implant within us everything we need to be completely free. This covenant is all about a personal, living, breathing relationship with us that empowers us to walk as he walked, and be conformed to his image.
Jesus’ sacrifice made this covenant possible. By his stripes, we are healed (Is. 53). As he ascended back to heaven he said he was leaving a comforter. The Holy Spirit would now be our inner guide. God knew we would need a way – a power like no other to set our souls free from the hurt we would endure in this world. So he set the Holy Spirit in our hearts as an inner guard and protector that would guide us into all Truth and set our souls completely free!
Praise Prayer and Declaration
So today we praise him for the power in his Word to save our troubled minds, our hurting hearts, and all the shame that has marked our soul. His Word is the eraser. Let God’s Word soak into every broken and hurting part of you today and bring healing and freedom to your soul! Amen!
Be Bold ~ Be a Light!