What does it mean that the Word of God will not return void?

Answer

Isaiah 55:10–11 states, “As the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, . . . So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me empty” (KJV). The term void means “empty.” The rest of verse 11 clarifies what it means to “not return void,” stating that God’s Word “will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Rain and snow are part of a cyclical water process. Precipitation falls upon the earth, flows into the land, and brings great benefit in the growth of crops, the refreshment of souls, and the sustaining of life. Rain and snow descend from above and do not return upward without fulfilling their purpose. God likens His Word to the rain and snow because, similar to precipitation, God’s Word always accomplishes His good intentions.

When God affirms that His Word will not return to Him void, we can understand that He has a purpose for His Word. God’s Word originates from above. He “breathed out” His words to us, and they were inscribed in the Bible «All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: », (2 Timothy 3:16). Every word He bestowed upon humanity is meaningful and was given for a specific reason. Like the rain and snow, God’s words bring forth life «It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. », (John 6:63) and yield good fruit in our lives. Through His Word, we understand that God loves us and that Jesus died to liberate us from sin and death; we also learn how to live in accordance with those truths.

When God declares that His Word will not return to Him void, we are encouraged to dwell in His Word, allowingIt is meant to be absorbed into our lives, soaking it up like the ground absorbs rain and snow. The truth will not come back empty as it changes our hearts. God’s Word rebukes and corrects us when we are wrong, and it instructs us in righteous living (2 Timothy 3:16-17). His Word is a guiding light in this dark world, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105). It addresses every urgent and practical issue. God’s Word will always achieve His desires, whether it is teaching, correcting, training, leading us to Him, revealing our sin, or some other beneficial purpose.

When God declares that His Word will not return to Him empty, we recognize that God is sovereign. The assurance is that God’s Word will accomplish His intentions, not necessarily ours. We may share the Word with the aim of changing someone’s mind—and the person remains unchanged. Was God’s Word ineffective? No, but our personal objectives may have differed from God’s. Like the wind that “blows wherever it pleases,” the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). God may use His Word in unexpected ways, at unexpected times, and with unexpected people. We cannot precisely predict how God will utilize His Word any more than meteorologists can predict the exact amount of rainfall and snowfall.

God’s Word will not return empty. It is too potent. When God said, “Let there be light,” the immediate outcome was that “there was light,” “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).Version/genesis-1-3″>(Genesis 1:3). When Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!” the wind ceased, and the sea calmed «And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. », (Mark 4:39). God’s Word will always prosper; God will succeed, and those who receive His Word will be overcomers as well «For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. », (1 John 5:4).