Growing up in AWANA and Christian schools, I learned Hebrews 4:12 at least a couple of times. But it wasn't until I grew up and really started drawing closer to the Lord that I understood the depth of this verse.
God's Word changes us every day when we let it. It changes me! It is alive! It is not outdated; it is not just a story; it is not only history. It actively helps us judge our thoughts and attitudes. Praise God for His awesome Word, the Bible, and for His active work in our hearts!!!
In my last post, I talked about how God speaks to us in our daily lives. Sometimes He brings His Word to my mind to correct me. Let's face it, it's hard in this world to stay on track mentally. I easily get caught up in rotten thinking patterns. I can read my Bible in the morning and hours later be struggling with worry, fear, pride, striving in my own strength, or impatience.
Recently, I was passively worrying about my upcoming thyroid surgery (this Friday). And out of nowhere, He wrote on my mind, I will keep in perfect peace her whose mind is steadfast, because she trusts in Me. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 26:3-4, NIV) I knew right away my struggle was trusting the Lord with my life.
It's a tough lesson, Trust. As I get older, and the terms and conditions of this life become more severe, my trust wavers sometimes. I feel guilty about that, because God has been so good to me. Throughout history, He has proven himself trustworthy. And even as I think through that, He brings this to mind: Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:6, ASV)
More times than I can count, He has reminded me to Cease striving, and know that He is God. (Psalm 46:10, NASB) Because I tend to strive and strive and strive and not to thrive on all that striving. :) And I don't often focus on the second part of that verse, which says, I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.
A verse like that serves as a great reminder to me that this life is not about me at all. I was put here for His glory. I was made for His purposes--to get to know and love the Author of Me, to love all the people He placed in my life, and to lay down my goals and pick up His.
One day, I was watching Fox News, my favorite fair and balanced news station, but I was sitting there thinking, the world has gone crazy! I know it's nothing to be surprised at, I mean in Noah's time, the world was so grossly full of sin that God chose to wipe out the entirety of what He'd created with a flood covering the entire earth. But, still. Sin is so yucky when it is full grown.
But God, He reminded me of some verses from Philippians 2, and reignited my supply of joy for days. Here's what He said, At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!
I repeated that verse for days. You see, it's all okay. Because in the end, everybody's gonna bow to Him. Every tongue is going to confess that Jesus-Christ-Is-Lord! And wow, those of us who know Him now are richly blessed. The blessings of knowing Christ are certainly not only reserved for Heaven.
Which brings me to another way the Lord speaks through His Word. Sometimes He just reminds us of His greatness, His majesty, His bounty of blessings that is waiting for us if we'll just come to Him again.
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1: 18-19)
Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies, Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains... (Psalm 36:5-6)
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:3-4)
How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth! (Psalm 47:2)
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16: 33)
I'm so proud of you.
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