Scheduled Intimacy: Living and Active Word

Scheduled Intimacy: Living and Active Word

I wrote two weeks ago about my new “scheduled intimacy”! Remember, I said that I was going to take 2, maybe 3 days off a week from electronics, Facebook, Twitter, computers, iPads, etc. Which is really hard. Have you ever tried it? Well, I did really good last week, but not so good this week so far. But, tomorrow is a new day, and it’s my second day of scheduled time off. I’ll let you know how it goes next week. But for now I wanted to get into the first passage I gave you guys in that posts that talks about the necessity to get into God’s word, why it’s important, and what it does when you do keep your “scheduled intimacy”.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV 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.

The first part of the passage is really the message that gives me hope. We do not serve a god who is dead. We, as Christians, won’t spend our existence wondering where God is in the midst of our trials and joys. That’s exciting! God tells us here, his word is “living and active.” Wow, not only living, but active in our daily lives. Exciting news!

A story.
I have this knife that I bought awhile back. I needed something at my job to make sandwiches with. I went to the store and bought the only knife they had that wasn’t a huge cutting board type of knife. I took it to school thinking that I was ready to spread my mayonnaise and mustard on my bagel and then cut the sandwich in half, which to be honest was the only reason I bought it. Sure enough, I buttered my bagel, laid the meat and cheese, then with anticipation of eating laid the knife to the bagel to cut it in half. I have to tell you, it didn’t cut a single thing. The blade was so dull that I couldn’t even cut my finger if it slipped and hit my hand. How depressing. I spent that time and money looking for something to do a job that it couldn’t even finish. Disappointing.

Friends, God’s word points out to us here that it doesn’t disappoint, unlike my knife. He tells us that when we live in His word, it will be a tool that SURELY works. His specific example in this passage is pointing out that it’s so strong that it is able to divide things that are seemingly indivisible. Things that seem impossible to discern the difference between. And this is especially important here because of the reason that the writer points it out. The last point he makes is that it, “discern[s] the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

I know a lot of you keep thinking about how you need to study the Bible so that you can know how to speak into your team memberss hearts, into their lives, and into their weaknesses. But, to me this passage is INCREDIBLY important because he is pointing out that God’s word will penetrate YOUR heart and help YOU to understand the thoughts and intentions of YOUR own hearts! Some of you may be feeling a bit down because of that fact. I assure you, though, that it is incredibly generous of God to provide a way for us to evaluate the reality of our own heart in perspective to his. He is more loving, more faithful, more gracious, more understanding, more kind, more generous, more forgiving than we will ever be. But, he left us with his word so that we would be moved and changed to become more like him every day.

This week, when you stand before your congregation, your stage, your classroom, where ever you may be, take time to soak up His word so that you can “sift the good from the bad” that you would lead and encourage this next generation of worshippers into the presence of God, and not the presence of… you!

So, why study his word? Because your very life and place in eternity depend on it. And in case you thought it was all about you, it’s also because he expects you to use these teachings as a way to save others as well! After all, Jesus did leave us with the greatest of tasks, The Great Commission, to go and make disciples of all nations.

How has God used His word to to give you discernment in your thoughts and intentions this week?