The Word is a Sharp Sword

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12)

Meditation

I don’t know about you, but I never liked it much when a passage of scripture challenged the way I thought about something. I get uncomfortable when I realize I’ve been doing something or thinking a certain way that goes against sound doctrine. I don’t like to admit that I’ve been wrong about something, especially when someone I respect points out my error. I’ll tell you what, when that realization strikes, I feel like I’ve been slashed with a broad sword, cut to the very core of my soul. That’s exactly what God intends for his Word to do, cut us deep. In my first few years with the scriptures, I was cut deeply by its truths and instructions many times. I knew where I had gone wrong in my previous interpretations, and where I wanted to go.

When I was new to the faith, I would hear my unsaved friends who told me I had been doing just fine without Jesus. They thought following a book that was written two thousand years ago, was just plain silly. Of course, there were all the people who thought that because it was so old, mistakes had to have been made in the copying and translating. When the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, that should have put that argument to rest, but it hasn’t. There are manuscripts, copied very close to the time of the original, that show uniformity in the transcription. I finally decided not to let anyone tell me that God’s Word is old fashioned and out of date.

The words of scripture are just as relevant today as the day they were written. Many people are very rebellious in their youth and unwilling to submit to an all-powerful God. I hope you get very uncomfortable when the two-edged sword cuts deep into your worldview. It might take a while for some to realize the real worth of the scriptures, even after they've submitted to Christ. They are much more than a list of dos and don’ts. The purpose of the scriptures are not to take away your fun. Soon you’ll realize the blessings are far greater from obedience to the Word, and the curses from sin are not worth it. Try to prayerfully consider the help offered in the scriptures, so the Holy Spirit will cut out the areas of your life that are unpleasing to Him. Hallelujah!

Prayer Time

Father God, you know the end from the beginning. You are there in our past and when we take our last breath. Thank you, God, for the time we have here and for securing our eternity. You have given us all things but perhaps one of the most important is your Word. Help us to rely on what you have to tell us in your Word to remove the sin from our lives. We ask the Holy Spirit to use those words to slash through our pride and pierce through our stony hearts. Lord, you know our thoughts before we even think them. Please help us to remember your words when we’re tempted by evil thoughts. Please Lord, remind us, if the words of scripture are written in our hearts and mind by daily study, we are less likely to fall into sin. Most importantly, thank you for expressing your love for us in scripture. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!