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.
An elderly lady was returning home after a church service when she was surprised by an intruder. She discovered a man robbing her home. “Stop!” she shouted, “Acts 2:38!” (Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins).
The burglar froze in place, allowing the woman to call the police and report the burglary calmly. When the police arrived and detained the man, the officer curiously asked him, “Why did you stop when she cited scripture?” The burglar, still shaken, replied, “Scripture? I thought she said she had an ax and two .38s!”
While the story brings a smile, it also highlights a profound truth—we frequently underestimate the power of God’s Word. It is readily available, and within easy reach, yet we often fail to use it to speak victory into our situations.
God desires for our faith to flourish, but how does faith grow? As it is written, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!” [Romans 10:17] By dedicating ourselves to studying His Word, we unlock new spiritual insights, soak in its wisdom, and grasp His Will. Billy Graham once remarked, “If you are ignorant of God’s Word, you will always be ignorant of His will.”
I am convinced that God continues to communicate with us through His Word. Howard Hendricks once stated, “God wants to communicate with you in the 21st century. He wrote His message in a book. He asks you to come and study that book for three compelling reasons: it’s essential for growth. It’s essential for maturity. It’s essential for equipping you, training you, so that you might be an available, clean, sharp instrument in His hands to accomplish His purposes.”
He concluded by saying, “So the real question confronting you now is: How can you afford not to be in God’s Word?”
When we study the Word, we’re not just reading text but engaging with God’s voice, preparing ourselves to serve His purposes. Thus, the challenge is clear: we must prioritize and value our time studying His Word. By doing so, we will be fully equipped for His service. [2 Timothy 3:16-17]
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]In Biblical Hebrew, the verb tenses are not like our “past”, “present”, and “future” – there are only two: “perfect” and “imperfect”. The “imperfect” tense is that which is not yet, not done, or not completed. The “perfect” is that which is done, complete and finished.
The burglar froze in place, allowing the woman to call the police and report the burglary calmly. When the police arrived and detained the man, the officer curiously asked him, “Why did you stop when she cited scripture?” The burglar, still shaken, replied, “Scripture? I thought she said she had an ax and two .38s!”
We’ve been serving in full-time ministry for over 25 years now, and throughout that journey, we’ve certainly experienced our share of trials and tribulations. Sometimes in life, we ask, “Lord, will this ever end?” And if you haven’t noticed, the challenges often don’t stop. But here’s the encouraging part: with every faith-testing moment, our spiritual endurance grows, our character is refined, and our trust in God deepens.
Epraphras is not a name you hear much of. He was a member of the church in Colosse, and obviously a dear saint in the Lord. We know that he suffered imprisonment with Paul at one time. But the thing that really impresses me about this saint is what Paul wrote about him– he always wrestled in prayer!
We often develop strategies, game-plans, life-plans – and then, at some obstacle or critical point, we say – “Just stick to the plan!” It’s usually good advice.
Life is always sending unexpected surprises, but praise God, nothing takes Him by surprise. He’s the master planner. Our family might turn against us, our friends let us down, illness, afflictions, problems and “situations” on every side…God still has a plan, for you, and for me.
The legendary preacher, Charles Spurgeon once said, “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.”
Every day roughly 150,000 around the world die. Death has a way of raising our spiritual temperature and quickening us to re-evaluate life…especially to ask, “Am I doing all that I can do?”