Be Strong in the Lord part 8

Take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

In the beginning of this series, we talked about the ‘belt of truth’ and how it carried the scabbard that sheathed the ‘sword of the Spirit’.  God’s word is the sword of the spirit.  Contained in its pages are descriptions of who He is, explanations of how much He loves His people and instructions on how to live our lives here on earth.

Before I became a Christian, I looked at Scripture as a history book.  It explained the way things were.  Much of it, I did not understand.  Now, when I read Scripture, it is a love letter from my God to me.  Every time I read it, He reveals something new.  The more I read Scripture the more my understanding of Him and me grows.

2 Peter 1:20
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.

All Scripture comes from God is purposefully written to us.

and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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.

Sharper than any double-edged sword it is a powerful tool in defeating the enemy.  God’s word protects us.  It teaches us and if we allow it to, it will guide us.

Psalm 119:35
Direct me in the path of your commands,    for there I find delight.

Sometimes, it can be really hard to ‘get into’ reading the Bible.  Dredging through the geneologys and some of the early ceremonies and offerings of Israel can almost seem painful.  Don’t start there.  Start with the books that tell of God’s character and His love for you.  Bit by bit, add in the more difficult passages.  As you are ready, God will reveal His truth to you.

Joshua 1:8
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

God wants only the best for us, He wants to bless us and He does that in part, by helping us understand who He is.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Some days, it is difficult to get motivated to read my Bible.  Those are the days when I most need to read it.  Someone told me once that the first day I don’t read my Bible, God knows.  The second day I skip reading my Bible, I know.  By the third day, the people around me know.

God’s Word shapes me – my character and my attitude.  If I am not using it as my standard then the question becomes, what am I using?

Ezra 3:11
With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

God’s Word is the foundation for all that I am.  Just like the foundation of a house, it is vital for me to make sure that there are no cracks in it.  Reading and studying God’s Word helps me discern what is truth and what is not.

Luke 6:48
They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

No matter the trials of today, if we are firmly rooted in the safety of God’s Word, He will uphold us.

Matthew 7:25
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

God’s Word is the last piece of the armour described in Ephesians 6.  Each piece has specific value for our Christian lives and the bits we’ve gone over only begin to scratch the surface.  I encourage you not to stop here.

2 Timothy 2:15
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
  And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,