Good Morning Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
When preparing for the teaching of a group, during the preparation The Holy Spirit told me to ask the group, “do you have The Word or does The Word have you?” As I mulled over this the first five minutes after receiving it, I said, “what’s the difference?” Good thing I asked. “You have not because you ask not.”
The Holy Spirit explained to me that “you have” is natural thinking, mental ascent, or head knowledge. “You have” is based on our strength, our wisdom, and our emotions. The subject of the phrase, “Do you have The Word” is “you.” A simple way of seeing this is, “do you possess The Word?” As you will notice, this implies it is about “us” doing something. “You” are performing the action. What is the action (predicate)? “Have The Word.”
Now, in contrast, The Holy Spirit said “have you” is Spiritual, heart believing, Truth. “Does The Word have you” indicates the subject is “The Word.” It implies “The Word” is performing the action. What is the action (predicate)? “Have you.” In other words, “The Word is possessing you.” It, “The Word,” is performing the action.
Ok, if this is confusing (don’t worry, I had to go round and round with The Holy Spirit until I received it as heart wisdom), maybe it’s simpler to look at it differently. What do think would be the difference between “us” performing the action or “The Word” performing the action? I think we all agree “The Word” is ALWAYS going to be successful at what It does. “We” will not. So, whom should we rely upon? Ourselves or The Word?
Another way of asking this is, “Do you have Jesus Christ or does Jesus Christ have you?” Jesus is The Word (John 1:1, John 1:14, Revelation 19:13). There are plenty of Believers that “have Jesus” but “Jesus doesn’t have them.” Yes, they are Believers because they have believed on and accepted Jesus Christ as The Son of God, their Savior, and their Redeemer. But is He the King and Lord of their life? Because, if Jesus is NOT the King and Lord of your life, “The Word doesn’t have you.” I think you’re starting to see it.
When Believers ask me, “what is the single most important principle for a Believer,” I reply, read I Peter 5:6-7.
I Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
If “The Word has you,” then you can confidently “cast all your care upon The Word; for The Word careth for you.” When you can do this, you’ve truly made Jesus Christ The King and The Lord of your life. The Word has you when you reach this point in your walk with Jesus Christ. What happens when we “cast all our care upon Him?” You’ve now humbled yourself under the mighty hand of God. You’ve 100% put yourself in His care and trust. Now, God can exalt [promote] you in due [at the appropriate] time.
Remember our adversary’s temptation of Adam and Eve in The Garden? Satan turned Adam and Eve against being possessed by The Word by telling them “YOU.” Satan was lying to them, telling them “they” didn’t possess The Word when in fact The Word possessed them. This is why there is a I Peter 5:8.
I Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The Holy Spirit, through Peter, gives us the recipe for success in I Peter 5:6-7. But The Holy Spirit warns us in I Peter 5:8, the master liar, the master deceiver is still operating, just as he did in the day of Adam and Eve. “Be sober, be vigilant” means we have to be “on guard” all the time. On guard with what? The Word. When The Word possesses you, all you can think and speak is The Word. The Word is what stops Satan and his henchmen in their tracks. That all powerful name of Jesus Christ and His Word declared in His Name.
In closing, meditate the riddle, “Do you have The Word or does The Word have you?” Turn your heart completely over to Jesus and make Him The King and Lord OVER ALL OF YOUR LIFE. The outcomes will be fantastic!
In Christ,
Larry