God's Word

 I think that we have lost something as a culture over the course of time due to the ongoing progress of technology.  We have forgotten and/or lost a foundational concept that was true for us from the beginning of time.  We are a people who were created to listen.  Think of the opening chapter of Genesis and how many times that it records for us the words "and God said."  God has recorded and preserved His Word.  The prophets spoke over and over again, "Thus says the Lord."  Jesus comes and John presents Him as the Logos - the eternal word.  Hebrews author reminds us that God has spoken both in times past and now, but now He has spoken to us through His perfect Word - His Son - Jesus Christ.  

But along the way, despite all of the commands of Scripture to listen, to meditate, to hear, we have become a people who instead speak.  Even though the command of James is to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19-20), we instead have been enveloped by a culture that tells us that we have to listen to no voice other than our own.  We have nothing outside of ourselves that we need and therefore any voice that is contrary to the voice of our "authentic self" is to be ignored or even shamed. 

And yet we were created to listen.  And in listening to obey.  

So the question for us as believers is this - will we train ourselves to listen to God, or will we continue to speak and in so doing shut out His voice?

The Power of the Word of God

 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)

I think that sometimes we underestimate the power that the Word of God has.  I think that all of us have a general sense that we need to change - that we need to be made more like Jesus.  And we think that God is going to do this in some mystical sense.  But it would seem that He has made it clear to us exactly how he is going to change us.  James refers to the Word of God as a mirror that we should examine in order to know what to change, but this passage in Hebrews tells us that the Word is the surgical tool that God wields in order to reveal the very inner parts of who we are and what we think and feel.  

Paul tells Timothy to trust the power of the Word to teach, to reprove, to correct and to train in righteousness.  He tells him that the Scriptures are able to make us equipped for every good work.  And yet for many this powerful Word simply sits on the shelf.  Or in our lap.  It may be read but it is rarely used to teach ourselves, to reprove ourselves, to correct ourselves or to train ourselves in righteousness.  Instead we use it to get a few inspiring thoughts that we imprint on T-shirts or pillows or hang as a picture on our wall.  We reduce the Bible to another poster like the cat that encourages us to "hang in there."  And in so doing we miss the power of God.  

Don't miss this critical tool in the arsenal of a soldier of Jesus Christ.  It is our sword, one that we should first allow God to use to change us and then that we should use readily and often as we strive to serve our Lord and Savior.