As we commence this new year 2026, what are the priorities for the year? If you are a Christian, your growing intimacy of Jesus and knowing His Word is of the utmost importance.
In the boof of Matthew chapter 4, we see Jesus being tempted by satan. In a very interesting exchange, we even see satan quoting scripture back at Jesus. In verses 5 and 6 we read;_’Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone’. Not his smartest move! Jesus IS THE WORD and responds in verse 7:- ‘Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.‘
One of the strategies of satan is to quote scripture and mislead the people. There are a multitude of ‘teachers and leaders’ who are doing this today. Satan is clearly doing this! And because ‘Christians’ do not know the ‘book’ – they cannot discern when they are being misled.
When you see a film or adaptation television series and after you had read the original ‘novel’, you can quickly see when the film or series has been changed. It is not the intention of the ‘author’ of the book to have the story twisted to suit the movie audience and their ‘visual lust.’ But, because you had spent the time in the novel, understood the novel and the theme, you know immediately when something has been altered. Jesus is calling His Church to be a people of the ‘book!’ Not using scripture out of context like satan did in the exchange mentioned above or like many using scripture today BUT, in relationship of the whole Bible and its theme and story!
We need to know the story. From it’s beginning to it’s climax in Revelation. What is the purpose of ‘salvation’ if it is about living a prosperous and blessed life on earth? Jesus came, died, rose and is coming back to reign with those who understand fully the story. It is about Jesus and Jesus the Word!
When we desire Him alone we desire all wisdom! Jesus is wisdom! Proverbs 8 and 9 describe wisdom and we can see, that it is a person – it is Jesus! Throughout these chapters in Proverbs we see ‘wisdom’ calling out. In Proverbs 8 verses 23 to 32(ESV) it says:- (all of this is wonderful to read!)
23 Ages ago I was set up,
at the first, before the beginning of the earth.
24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,
when there were no springs abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains had been shaped,
before the hills, I was brought forth,
26 before he had made the earth with its fields,
or the first of the dust of the world.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there;
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,
28 when he made firm the skies above,
when he established the fountains of the deep,
29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,
so that the waters might not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,
31 rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.
Jesus was in the beginning. He was the Word in the beginning with the Father.
Let us not be deceived. It is not just enough to know some scriptures in the Bible – we need to know THE Word. Jesus is THE Word – the Bread of life. This is why we pray ” Give us our daily bread.” “Yes Lord – we come to you daily to eat the Word of Life. Jesus, you are life. Reveal yourself more in us. May we spend time in your Word, in the Spirit and not settling for ‘adaptations’ and messages that are taking scripture out of context. We do not want to be deceived. But in these days’ deception is in abundance especially with the use of AI technologies. But Jesus, you are TRUTH, you are the Way, and you are the LIFE! Amen
