Isaiah 55:10-11

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread for the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

                Here we get a beautiful picture about the various purposes the word of God fulfills. God uses the rain to personify His word; it provides words for the evangelist “seed to the sower” and nourishment to the spiritual man “bread to the eater.” But not only that, but it gives growth to fruit of the Spirit, it softens dirt to mud so that Satan’s armies would halt in their advance, it ignites the energy of the ones who have walked through the valley of spiritual drought, and it purifies and cleanses the spirit of men.

                Now, just as we can’t manipulate the rain to fall within its descent, we cannot control the word of God to constrain what it’s sent to do. Look at how it’s not my word, or our word, but God says it’s “My word that goes forth from My mouth.” It’s not our word that will not return void, but God proclaims “My word… shall not return to Me.” We may handle the word of God to try to encourage, exhort, correct, and teach yet it is God who says “it shall not accomplish what I please and it shall prosper in the thing which I sent it.” God takes ownership in His word and what will be done by it.

                Application: I’m called to handle His word wisely and divide it correctly, but I need to make it clear in my mind that it’s His word that is effective with accomplishing His divine purposes, not my words or my use of His word. Will I be faithful in speaking His word that He delegates to me even if it doesn’t produce the expected results that I’m looking for? I need to be content with what God says whether it ignites revival or hardens wicked, unrepentant hearts. Such is the job of a prophet: speak what God says to speak and do what God commands to do, and the prophet will be used to accomplish God’s sovereign purpose within His word.