LIVING WORDS
01st Apr 2026
Hebrews 4:12 declares the Bible to be a living book! 2 Timothy 3:16 adds, “It is God-breathed and useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness.”
I approach my Bible reading with this in mind, especially when I am reading a very familiar text. I declare, I am reading God’s Living Word, and I expect He will use it to speak a fresh word to me. Today I am reading Luke chapter 2, the very familiar story of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus.
I declared the book to be living and asked the Lord to show me something new. Luke 2:40 stood out. It is a verse we often use in prayer when dedicating babies. We ask that they will “grow and become strong and be filled with wisdom.” But today I noticed that the verse ends with “the grace of God was upon him.” Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the grace of God was on Him.
Our knowledge of Jesus’ early years is limited; however, at the age of 12, he is with his parents at the Passover festival in Jerusalem. They lose him and later find him in the temple, listening to and questioning the teachers, who are very impressed, while his parents are upset and hurt.
Jesus’ response to their rebuke mystified them. Luke 2:49 says, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I had to be here, dealing with the things of my Father?” They had no idea what He was talking about. I see a young man with great knowledge of God’s Word and a relationship with God, listening to God’s voice and being taught and directed by the Holy Spirit.
The grace of God was governing His life as Luke 2:52 says, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Grace gave Him life skills, favour, mental alertness, and an attractiveness that drew ordinary people to Him.
And that anointing of grace can do the same for us. We need that ability to grow in the Holy Spirit, to develop our relationship with Father God, and to cultivate a winsomeness that gives us favour with those we live and work with.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
