Devotional
Focus on the Power of the Word
“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 Thess 2:13).
Nov 18, 2025By Paulson Pulikottil
The Word of God, God’s will, reveals his nature and dealings with the world. It comes to us in various forms; we can read it in the Bible, hear it preached from the pulpit, or learn it in groups or on our own.
The medium may weaken or strengthen the message. The Word's impact on our lives depends on the medium through which it reaches us. A good orator significantly impacts their audience, and a skilled interpreter of the Word can make a lasting impression on people's hearts, unlike a poor preacher.
However, the Word of God has its inherent power, which is not dependent on the messenger who carries it to the people. This intrinsic power will not be lost in transmission if the hearer takes it as the Word of God. But most of the time, the end user of the Word puts the messenger between God and his Word presented. They hear the words of the human agent and disregard the voice of God that the preacher intends to carry.
One of the many things Paul thanked God for the congregation in Thessalonica was that they could reach out to the power of the Word of God, though it came through Paul's feeble voice, which was not renowned for his oratorial skills (2 Corinthians 10:10).
With a multitude of preaching available through various media, we tend to gravitate towards the best preachers rather than the power of God inherent in the Word of God. The power of God in the Word of God is in what it could do to me to change my character, values, and destiny. The Word of God is not just informational but transformational as it pulls down and builds us up in God’s way.
If what you watch and hear does not bring transformational power into your life, it is not worth a place in your playlist.