The Wonder of the Word of God

“The Bible is supernatural; it is God breathed, it transforms lives, tells us who we are, and gives us a purpose. The Word of God is a Wonder!” –Marian Jordan Ellis

Hi, I’m Kennedy. I’m a summer intern with This Redeemed Life Ministry. I will never forget attending a Christian conference in college that changed my life. Until then, I was the typical sorority girl who lived for the next party and centered her life on pleasure. I, for sure, wasn’t living for Jesus; I was living for all the things the world said would make me happy. During that conference, I heard the message of Jesus and knew He was calling me. But it wasn’t until the last day, when the worship team led the song, “Build My Life,” that I surrendered mine to Jesus. If you aren’t familiar with this song, the chorus says: 

 I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

For months before this conference, I was confronted with the reality of Jesus. But in that moment,I faced a choice: to surrender and follow Jesus or to continue living for myself and this world. I chose Jesus. I lifted my hands during that song and confessed the lyrics as my prayer. That is the day I said “yes” to Jesus. The broken party girl, completely ruled by the sinful world, turned to God and was rescued by His grace. I left that conference a changed woman.

Leaving that confernce, I knew I was different. The sinful desires that held me captive for years began to fall away. Not to say that I didn’t struggle with sin after that, because I did. However, for the first time, I experienced conviction for what I was doing, but most importantly, I now wanted to please God. I did not want to return to my old, empty way of living. I wanted to know Jesus with all my heart and “build my life on His love.”

Let me pause and say this was just the beginning of my transformation. The real change happened after the conference when I returned to my college town and began seeking Jesus on my own through reading the Bible. It was during that season that I experienced the supernatural power of the Word of God, or as Marian likes to say, “The Wonder of the Word” for myself.

I was hungry for the Word and sought people to teach me the Bible. As I read the Bible, God softened my heart and revealed areas of my life that He wanted to change. As I opened it each day, I felt myself changing on the inside– something I could never do in my own power. Now, I understood why the Bible is called a wonder.

“For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword , piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

The Bible is a wonder because it transformed my life from the inside out.

I share my transformation story because I know some people have experienced a similar encounter with Jesus at a conference or summer camp. Perhaps you also lifted your hands up in surrender, but then you came back home but your life went back to the old “normal.” 

You may be reading this and can recall when you, too, said “yes” to Jesus, but today your life looks the same as it did before that decision. Friends, I am here to tell you as living proof that the Bible is, in fact, a wonder. I’m not sure what would have happened to me after that conference had I not been encouraged to read the Scripture and learn to follow Jesus.

There is no substitute for time in God’s Word. We can have powerful encounters with Jesus at summer camps and conferences, but we must return home and seek Him for ourselves. To experience His transforming power, we must open our Bibles to know Him. Then we will encounter His supernatural presence and power in our lives.  

If you can relate or maybe you just have questions about the Bible, I want to encourage you to listen to Marian Jordan Ellis’ new Bible teaching, The Wonder of the Word. This Bible teaching will encourage your faith, stir your passion for knowing God through His Word, and answer questions about the Bible’s authority and authenticity. Tune into this teaching on YouTube and leave a comment because we’d love to connect with you and hear what Jesus is doing in your life.

 

Written by Kennedy Adcock

Kennedy is a Summer Intern with This Redeemed Life. She hopes to pursue ministry after she graduates from Texas A&M in December 2023. You can follow her on Instagram @Kennedy_Adcock