Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart ~ Hebrews 4:12


When I open the word of God, and read a passage I have read before, there seems to be something new that I take away from that word. God’s word speaks something different to all of us when we open it, even when we have heard the story many times before. Sometimes that story reminds me of the love God has for me, whereas other times it may remind me of how I must be a different person that the world in my living. God’s word convicts me of my sinfulness, lifts me when I am low and despondent, reminds me that even King David has felt the way I may be feeling. Paul’s words spoken through the Holy Spirit call me higher, and Jesus’ words call me to truth and love as I have never known love. I love how the writer of Hebrews says God’s word penetrates deep into our soul and spirit, for when we are pierced through by God’s word we have received the word so deeply that its impact is painfully felt. We need that pain to help us realize that following Jesus is not for the lighthearted, but it is a call to a life change, a heart change. It is a call to leave the “me” behind and take hold of the “Him in me”. God’s word instructs me, guides me, lifts me, comforts me, purifies me, grants wisdom to me. When I am not in his word, on a daily basis, I cannot get to know Him. It is his love letter to me. How can I fall in love if I do not know the other person? My thoughts, my attitudes cannot line up with his if I do not know him. I want his word to cut me open and expose what must be removed from within. There is much in my soul that must go so that I can be more like my Saviour. The word of God opens me up!

Pastor Julia

image by pixabay

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:26

Image
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans ~ Romans 8:26 Many days, many times, I have the words for prayer. It comes forth and flows fairly naturally as I converse with my Lord God. I hope in the God I worship to hear me, and to receive my words, as I pray in the name of Jesus and believe in Him, my intercessor. He is my Living Saviour, my High Priest, standing at the right hand of God the Father. But there are times when my pain has been so deep that my words will not come. There are times when my agony is so piercing that what words I may speak would not be enough. And so, in my deep, black moments, I come before my God and let my darkest emotions erupt in sounds that only He can understand. The Holy Spirit within me cries out in my stead, and He becomes my second intercessor. It is not that He is not there with me in all my prayers, but there are times wh...
Read more

Proverbs 18:2

Image
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t...
Read more

Isaiah 43:19

Image
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the...
Read more