And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
(1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV)
Today we want to offer you a simple word of encouragement: If you have put your trust in Jesus, then God’s Word is at work in you.
You Are Working to Listen to God’s Word
You have come to accept that the Bible is God’s Word. You believe that it tells the truth. You believe the message at the heart of the Bible—that Jesus Christ, who is God’s Son, was born as a man and lived the perfectly righteous life we could not, died the death we deserve, and rose from the dead, triumphing over sin and death—and you have put your faith in Jesus.
And so, you read your Bible. Some days, reading it is delightful. Some days you drag yourself to it. The truth that the Bible is God’s Word is an idea you remind yourself of when you don’t want to read the Bible. You tell yourself that if God said it, you should listen. You persevere in crawling to it when you’re in pain. You incorporate God’s Word into your life through music and listening to the Word of God preached at church. You work to study, meditate on, and memorize the Bible. Day by day, you put effort and energy into seeking God through his Word.
God’s Word Is at Work in You
But did you know, that as you work to be in God’s Word, God’s Word is at work in you? Paul describes Scripture as “the word of God, which is at work in you” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). What a comforting thought!
This verse doesn’t specifically tell us how God’s Word is at work in us, or what it is doing, but we know that it is doing something.
Maybe you’re weary of reading your Bible, a little bored, wondering if it matters. Believe that God’s Word is at work in you, and may that motivate you to keep reading!
Maybe you’re in pain, and the hardship in your life has created an assault on your faith. You crawl to the Bible exhausted and cold-hearted. Open it still, friend, and believe that God’s Word is at work in you!
Maybe you’re battling sin, and you feel like the fight has gone on too long and is too hard. Yes, you are spending time listening to God’s Word, but sin feels strong, and your faith feels weak. Fight on, brother or sister, and keep listening. God’s Word is at work in you.
Maybe you’re physically unwell—and that phrase alone feels like an understatement—and suffering plagues your body in a way that makes it hard to read, hard to pray, hard to think, hard to feel. You open the Bible, but your heart feels far from the words you read on the page. Your perseverance to open the Bible is not wasted. God’s Word is at work in you.
Don’t we all need this precious reminder?
Trust that God’s Word Is at Work in You
When we see our Bible on our bedside and grab it, when we see our pastor open the Bible at church and join in, when we open the Bible on our lap during Bible study, when we hear the Bible in songs, when we read the words of Scripture from the note of a friend, may this truth come to our minds: God’s Word is at work in you.