Sword

The Power of the Sword Moments with God, Vol. 95

My son, Bryan, and I recently had the opportunity to visit the Cleveland Museum of Art. As we walked through a maze of galleries, we stumbled upon a room containing swords and armor, even armor fitted for horses! As we wandered through, we saw variations on swords – some were straight, some curved – but all were designed for the intent of cutting and thrusting. Of course, to do its job, the sword had to be kept sharp, regularly sharpening them on a whetstone. Interestingly enough, the Word of God is likened to a two-edged 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)

A sword is a powerful weapon designed to take life or cause great injury. Just as a sword takes life, the words of the Bible show a man how he must die to actually live. In God’s Word, mankind is shown his need for a Savior. In asking God for forgiveness and accepting His gift of salvation, the old man is put to death. However, different from a regular sword, God’s Word also gives life. Upon receiving Jesus as Savior, God begins the work of making us more like Jesus. This act of sanctification takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit and by the power of the Word of God. God’s words are living and active, bringing change to our hearts.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

God uses His words to teach. We learn about who He is, what He has done and continues to do, and how we should live. Through His Word we are reproved or rebuked of our wrongs and corrected. He shows us sin and guides us in how to live a holy life. He shows us how to be like Him.

Sometimes our challenges of life, our relationships and daily interactions can cause us confusion as we sort through our emotions and seek truth and good responses to what we are facing. The Bible discerns or judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. He shows us how to live and respond in a way that honors Him. God shows us how to live life in the way we were meant to live. Though His words reveal sin and bring correction, the passages of Scripture bring peace and joy. They bring freedom from the bondage of sin and draw us closer to our Savior.

So, do you spend time in God’s Word? Are you committing passages of scripture to memory? You do not have to be a biblical scholar to understand the pages of Scripture, but you do need to open the Bible and dig in.

Often a friend will share they are overwhelmed with studying the Bible because they do not feel intelligent enough to understand its page. Having felt the same, I offer the following two suggestions.
First, as you open your Bible, pray for God to show you the truths from His Word. Second, begin with the Psalms and Proverbs. Take one Psalm and a chapter from Proverbs each day and write down what you have learned. As you see a verse that encourages you in your life, write it down and memorize it.

God’s Word is powerful. The value of spending time each day reading and studying His Word will change your life. The Holy Spirit will pull out the sinful attitudes and behaviors and give you a new heart full of Him. Not only will you be more like Jesus, but you will also have an unquenchable thirst for more of God as you study the pages of Scripture.

God wants you to know Him, so pick up His Sword and learn of Him!

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