1. When is the Word of God not in its proper place? The Word of God is not in its proper place if we read the Losung’s Biblical verses for the day as a 'horoscope' or, looking for the answer for one of our specific questions, we open the Bible at random and we literally interpret the first Word we see, thinking that "this is what God tells us today". We cannot really feel the Word’s strength in case we have never read the whole Bible. We cannot be open for the Word’s content if we do not place ourselves in the presence of God, in the space of God, in the gracious love of Jesus and in the strength of the Holy Spirit before we start reading. We cannot fully accept the Word of God if we read it only. We have to listen to it, too. Let’s get in the habit of reading the Words of God loud out instead of just reading it. Let’s listen to the Word of God at church services, in the community of the believers. The preacher, the emotions of the many human souls, the elements of the liturgy, singing and praying will create different opportunities of acceptance and openness than the solitude. Let’s give more chances for the Word of God to resonate in ourselves and to find Its place! Let's realize that we give a chance to ourselves with all these because God has given His Word to find its place in this world and in our lives. (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

2. When does the Word of God find its proper place in our lives and in our souls? King Solomon’s following parable beautifully shows us how does the Word of God look like in its appropriate place: "To speak a word in due time, is like apples of gold on beds of silver." (Proverbs 25:11) A nice apple is about a quarter liter. A quarter liter gold weighs eleven pounds. Why is the Word of God so heavy? The Word is God’s manifestation in the world. All Words focus Totality in themselves. The Word carries God’s creative power. This creative power is unlimited: it can even fold the sky as a vesture (Hebrews 1:12). The Word of God is like a stone. But not any kind of stone! The Word is exactly the stone that God has placed in the middle of the world: it is the Cornerstone, the Word made flesh. The Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, is the stumblingstone (Romans 9:32). When does the Word of God gets to its proper place? When it has arrived in the middle of our hearts – on beds of silver. The beds of silver: is the Holy Spirit itself. If we are open to the Holy Spirit when accepting the Word – it gets to the place where God has intended to place it, where Jesus lives: into our hearts. (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

3. What is the Word of God reaching its place capable of? The Word starting from God has arrived to our hearts, which have been purified for accepting the Word, by the Holy Spirit with the mercy of Jesus’ sacrifice. The Word of God got to its place – at last. Can we be satisfied with this? We cannot! If we have accepted the Word, we have to let it work in us. The Word will do what it says (see: Isaias 55:11). Maybe it takes years – but it surely will do. But something more happens. The Word does not have a rest in us: we have to pass it to others. Where will the Word be at its proper place? In our brothers’ hearts! The Word has found its place at last: it has become our common treasure. Is it the end of the Word’s journey? No, it isn’t! Not yet! What is the Word capable of after finding its place? "That word above all earthly powers -- No thanks to them -- abideth." (Martin Luther: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God) The Word is the sign of our Creator and Father and our Redeemer in this world, which stands as a rock we all can surely build our houses on. The house built on the Word is the House of our Father in which we all can find realm forever. The Word leads us back here, into the Father’s House through Jesus Christ, the Door (John 10:9a). This is how the Word returns to the place it has started from: to the Father. But not empty but with all of us, together with all sheep of our Lord – Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Amen.  (If you would like to know more about this, please read my essay here.)

1. When is the Word of God not in its proper place?

The Word of God is not in its proper place if we read the Losung’s Biblical verses for the day as a 'horoscope' or, looking for the answer for one of our specific questions, we open the Bible at random and we literally interpret the first Word we see, thinking that "this is what God tells us today". God is not a predictive vending machine who serves us to decrease our anxiety – whenever we happen to need His help... We cannot really feel the Word’s strength in case we have never read the whole Bible. We cannot be open for the Word’s content if we do not place ourselves in the presence of God, in the space of God, in the gracious love of Jesus and in the strength of the Holy Spirit before we start reading. For me it was very beneficial to read the Word of God three times one after the other: with my mind, heart and soul. It was also very useful if I took long breaks in between the reads. It helped a lot for me to stay in deep silence. I felt like I did not listen to myself but to God. I was trying to listen humbly and openly: with expectant and hopeful joy. I was trying to listen to those thoughts, feelings, images, urges and desires that were waking up in me. I restrained myself to draw conclusions quickly. It often happened that the meaning of the Word of God showed itself to me more completely only months or years later. If one does so, is the Word of God in its proper place already? It is not! We cannot fully accept the Word of God if we read it only. We have to listen to it, too. Let’s get in the habit of reading the Words of God loud out instead of just reading it. But it is still not enough... Let’s listen to the Word of God at church services, in the community of the believers. The preacher, the emotions of the many human souls, the elements of the liturgy, singing and praying will create different opportunities of acceptance and openness than the solitude. Let’s give more chances for the Word of God to resonate in ourselves and to find Its place! Let's realize that we give a chance to ourselves with all these because God has given His Word to find its place in this world and in our lives.

2. When is the Word of God finds its proper place in our lives and in our souls?

King Solomon’s following parable beautifully shows us how does the Word of God look like in its appropriate place: "To speak a word in due time, is like apples of gold on beds of silver." (Proverbs 25:11) Let’s get immersed in the depths of this parable! How heavy can the Word of God be if we imagine it as a golden apple? A nice apple is about a quarter liter. A quarter liter gold weighs five kilograms. Let’s imagine that we hold this five kilograms’ heavy golden apple in our palm. It turns our hands off! The Word of God has a large weight. If the Word of God finds us: it changes our lives. Why is the Word of God so heavy? The Word is God’s manifestation in the world. All Words focus Totality in themselves. The Word carries God’s creative power. This creative power is unlimited: it can even fold the sky as a vesture (Hebrews 1:12). The Word of God is like a stone. But not any kind of stone! The Word is exactly the stone that God has placed in the middle of the world: it is the Cornerstone, the Word made flesh. The Cornerstone, Jesus Christ, is the stumblingstone (Romans 9:32). The stumblingstone forces us to make an attitude towards it. We cannot sneak by Jesus. We cannot avoid Jesus. We cannot pretend that Jesus is not there. We HAVE TO bump into Him. The Word is just like Jesus. If we avoid it today, it stands in front of us again tomorrow. The Word of God is not a kind of apple we can bite into. The Word of God cannot be either divided, sliced, or chopped for the kid. We cannot make puree of it either. It is in one piece and it remains in one piece. We have to change to be able to accept it. When does the Word of God gets to its proper place? When it has arrived in the middle of our hearts – on beds of silver. The beds of silver: is the Holy Spirit itself. If we are open to the Holy Spirit when accepting the Word – it gets to the place where God has intended to place it, where Jesus lives: into our hearts.

3. What is the Word of God reaching its place capable of?

"So shall my word be, which shall go forth from my mouth:
it shall not return to me void, but it shall do whatsoever I please,
and shall prosper in the things for which I sent it." (Isaias 55:11)

The Word starting from God has arrived to our hearts, which have been purified for accepting the Word, by the Holy Spirit with the mercy of Jesus’ sacrifice. The Word of God got to its place – at last. Can we lean back now? Can we be satisfied with this? We cannot! Nothing has been finished yet! Just like the parable’s sentence has not been finished either... There remains the essence: "to speak a word in due time". If we have accepted the Word, we have to let it work in us. The Word will do what it says (see: Isaias 55:11). Maybe it takes years – but it surely will do. But something more happens. The Word does not have a rest in us: we have to pass it to others. Where will the Word be at its proper place? In our brothers’ hearts! The Word has found its place at last: it has become our common treasure. Is it the end of the Word’s journey? No, it isn’t! Not yet! What is the Word capable of after finding its place? "That word above all earthly powers -- No thanks to them -- abideth." (Martin Luther: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God) The Word is the sign of our Creator and Father and our Redeemer in this world, which stands as a rock we all can surely build our houses on. The house built on the Word is the House of our Father in which we all can find realm forever. The Word leads us back here, into the Father’s House through Jesus Christ, the Door (John 10:9a). This is how the Word returns to the place it has started from: to the Father. But not empty but with all of us, together with all sheep of our Lord – Forever and ever. Hallelujah! Amen.

This essay is the edited version of the essay published
in the 2020/1 issue of the Hungarian "Híd Magazin" (Bridge Magazine)
I thank János Szeverényi for providing the opportunity for this work.