A Word From The Word

I felt like a newlywed today, just like when my wife and I were newly married and just beginning our pastoral ministry...we went to make hospital visits together. Our girls were with friends, one went to the beach and the other went to the mall...so Julie and I went to Tampa to make a hospital visit. On our way we stopped at Home of the Gyro on MLK Blvd. It's a little corner place that has some of the oddest combination meals you've ever seen, gyro's and chicken gizzards, or gizzard's and rice, wings and gizzards...I had the gyro platter, the sandwich was huge, took both hands to hold it and meat fell out of it, very good. While we were ordering I noticed behind the counter the proprietors 3-4 children sitting watching television, one of the boys had a well used Bible in his lap and was holding and reading while watching TV. I asked him what he was reading, the Bible he said, but what are you reading I continued to ask...then I asked him to give me a word from the Word, he didn't quite understand what I was asking, his Mom tried to explain, but it was his sister who go it, and she began to quote and give me scripture reference..."In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God..." It lit my fire! Last night I watched the video "One Night With The King", the story of Esther. There was a place where Esther was called to read for the King, at first she read from his favorite scrolls, and then she began to tell the story of Jacob and Rachel, quoting the Word of God with such passion. I love the Word, love to hear it quoted and love to hear it read. A few years ago I was attending a Senior Adult Convention and the Happy Goodman's were there, not my style of music, but I was there with senior members of my church. Johnny somebody was one of the singers and he began to quote Revelation 22, it sent chills and thrills through my spirit, the Word is powerful, it will stand alone and work! Years ago I was preaching for Clarence Bear in Stillwater, OK, he told me something that I've never forgotten, he said, sometimes God gives us one thing to say, but we preachers have to add all this other stuff around it, we spend thirty minutes telling them what we've got to say, but God only wanted about ten minutes of it! There's probably truth in that! The Word is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword...and a Word from the Word is welcome in my life at anytime!