“…upholding all things by the word of His power…” (Hebrews 1:3).
The power of God’s word is a multi-faceted study.
One aspect of God’s powerful word is its creative power. The worlds were framed by the word of God. He spoke them into existence out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3). Light, the firmament of the heavens, the bodies of water and masses of dry land, the grass upon the earth, the galaxies of stars in space, the aquatic, celestial, and terrestrial animals of the planet all resulted when God spoke His powerful creative word (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24).
An additional feature is its maintaining power. It is one thing to be creative; it is another to maintain what you have made. God’s word maintains in perfect working order all things His creative power has generated (Hebrews 1:3).
A third facet of God’s word is its reserving power. Regardless of how wicked humanity becomes and how poorly humans steward His word and world, God’s judgment upon humanity with the complete abolition of the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire by God’s word. No one can sabotage the power of God’s word and His promised judgment upon the ungodly (2 Peter 3:5-7).
Another dimension of God’s word is its discerning power. “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). There is no creature hidden from His sight. No impure motive goes unnoticed. No insincere action is unobserved. Everyone’s life is an open book. Therefore, He discerns and knows His sheep.
Because of the creative, maintaining, reserving, and discerning power God’s word has, the sentiments of the Psalmist should be ours as well: “My heart stands in awe of Your word” (Psalm 119:161).
