In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist tells us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. So, when we take time to read and consider what the Bible says to us, His Word help us to know Him better, imparts His wisdom to us, and guides us through both the good and bad times of our lives. His Word helps us understand who we are as individuals, and how we should better live and relate to other people. So today, let’s consider a passage that can help us to better appreciate the life-changing power of His Word:
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. (Hebrews 4:12)
Kent Hughes, who served 41 years in pastoral ministry and who continues his ministry by training pastors, tells the story of a friend at a restaurant. When the server came to his table, he asked, “Have you made the wonderful discovery of knowing Christ personally?” She said that she hadn’t and began to tell him why. She worked on Sunday so she couldn’t get to church. Also, she would be more comfortable with a Bible in her own language, which was Romanian. On a napkin, Kent wrote down a few simple points about how she could come to know God and gave it to her. The next day, he dropped off a Romanian Bible for her. Sometime later, he came back to the restaurant. The waitress saw him and rushed over to tell him that she was reading her Bible; sometimes she even read it all through the night! Better yet, she had come to know Christ. Then she pulled out that same napkin, almost in tatters, and said, “Would you write that down for me again? I’ve shown this to people so many times, my napkin is coming apart.” Today’s passage tells us that God’s Word is “alive.” That it's powerful. That it separates what is in our own thoughts and feelings from what is spiritual, exposing our thoughts and desires. Now, you and I might think that we know our own thoughts and desires, but we often don’t. And that why we need God’s Word. When we read the Bible, God can speak to us and reveal things we never knew about ourselves, just as He did with the waitress and her Romanian Bible. Today, I encourage you to make time for reading and considering God’s Word. Read it daily and read it prayerfully.
As you read, ask God to speak to you, and listen for His answers. Your Heavenly Father wants to speak to you, and He wants to speak to me – and that’s always very Good News!
“When the bottom falls out and disappointments come, you will learn what you believe, what you love, and what you treasure.”