Let’s read from Hebrews 4:12 — “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Every time we open our Bibles we want to ask and believe God for understanding and illumination. We pray: Father, I thank you for bringing forth that which you desire into our hearts. We desire to be conformed into the image of your dear Son. We’re asking that the words from the Bible would become life to every person in Jesus’ name, amen.
Notice that the Bible says the Word of God is quick, meaning the Word of God is alive. We need to realize that we’re dealing with a living thing, we are dealing with life. Too often we fail to treat the Word of God for what it is worth.
The word of God is alive in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Word, and the Word of God is powerful. Jesus taught in Mark chapter 4, that the Word is powerful as a seed. You understand that a seed has within it all of the ability and all of the potential to become what that seed is: a corn seed has all of the potential to become a stalk of corn if it’s placed in the proper environment. The potential to produce what it is lies within.
God’s word is powerful as a seed. God’s word is powerful to produce what is spoken. In Isaiah, we read that God’s word will not return to Him void of fulfillment, but it shall accomplish that which He pleases. You see, God’s Word is powerful when it’s placed in the proper environment – in a man’s heart to produce what is spoken.
If you need salvation, God’s word as a seed planted in your heart will produce salvation in your life. God’s Word planted in your heart concerning healing will produce healing in your life.
Today, if you need financial prosperity you must start with a seed. God’s word concerning that matter and spoken by words of faith is planted in your heart and will produce in your life. God’s Word is powerful as a seed.
Hebrews chapter four goes on to say how God’s Word is sharper than any two edged sword. We need to realize that there are two sides to this sword.
Not only can we use God’s Word as an offensive weapon against the enemy, as Jesus did when he stood up in the bow of that boat, and spoke forth words of faith against a storm. He quieted that storm, and then he turned around to his disciples and he said, “Where’s your faith? Where’s your faith, Peter, for you to stand up and speak against the opposition of life?”
We also can use God’s Word in this manner. Remember the centurion who approached Jesus and said, “Lord, I’m not worthy, that you should come into my house to heal my My servant, but speak the word only — speak the word only and my servant shall be healed.” That man knew the power of speaking God’s Word.
Jesus responded, “I haven’t seen such a great faith in all of Israel.”
We need to realize the power that’s in speaking God’s word against opposition, but remember it’s also a two edged sword. There is another side to all of this. There’s a time when God’s word needs to cut, pierce and penetrate into our being as well.
Many times we need to unlearn things, as well as learn them. It’s a shame for us to realize it, but sometimes we have learned false truths. We have learned things that have hindered us and kept us from believing the Bible. Too many preach excuses for why God’s Word doesn’t work. I like one brother in Christ who says, the Bible is so easy to understand it takes years of practice to misunderstand it. And we’ve had a lot of practice.
We need to realize that the Word of God, when entering our hearts, has to cut out the things that have clogged our spirits from receiving from God. It says it will pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. So not only is God’s Word good for a man’s spirit, giving us a new creation, a new creative spirit, but it’s also applicable to our soul or to our minds, and it will penetrate to the joints, and the marrow. That’s the very core of your being.
You understand that the marrow is the center of your bone structure, and God’s Word will penetrate right into your very inner being, right into your body. God’s Word and the power of God’s Word will affect your body.
Remember, as we read from the Old Testament, Elijah was a man so immersed in God’s Word that when he died his bones were still full of the power of God!
2 Kings 12:20,21
20 And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.
21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
He was raised from the dead because Elijah had immersed himself in the power of God’s Word throughout his lifetime, and that power remained in his bones.
God’s word is powerful, and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Jesus said, at one time, “I have not come to judge you.” There is one who has already judged you and that’s the Word spoken by the Father.
God’s Word is a living thing. God’s Word — which sometimes we fail to treat with the respect and the honor that we should give it — God’s Word will discern your thought life. God’s Word will discern the intents of your heart, and you are judged by God’s Word. And like a two edged sword, God’s Word judges against the lies, and establishes the truth!
God’s Word is God’s revelation of Himself. You see, the respect you give to God’s Word is the respect that you give to the Father God: all that we know of him and all that we receive of Him. The Bible says, In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. If we fail to respect the word for what it’s worth, we fail to give forth the proper respect to our Father.
Let’s look in the book of Joshua for some instructions on how we should partake of God’s word, instructions on the proper respect we should give to God’s word.
Moses had died and gone on to be with the Lord, and God gave Joshua instruction before they entered into the promised land. Joshua had to fill Moses shoes. Moses, who delivered over 2 million people from Egypt, and led them across the desert. Moses who had split the Red Sea. Moses who had brought forth manna. Moses, who had prayed and the quail had come in and fed the people of Israel. It would take quite a man to fill his shoes.
But now Joshua, rising up into that position was admonished by God, in Joshua 1:8, saying, This Book of the Law, shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then, — when you’re meditating, when you’re observing to do and acting on God’s word, — then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
We need to see this and practice the meditation of God’s Word. He says, this book of the law will not depart out of our mouth. You need to realize that you should continually be speaking God’s word. When circumstances come against you the first thing that enters your mind should be “What does God’s word have to say about this situation?”
He said, You should meditate in it day and night. That word meditate could properly be translated to mutter.
What are you doing when you mutter? You’re pacing the floor. Thoughts have preoccupied your thinking. Perhaps financial trouble has come to your life and you’re pacing the floor muttering concerning your situation.
Well, that word meditate means to mutter. You need to allow the Word of God to preoccupy your thinking. You need to allow it to rule your conscious mind. You should be pacing the floor and, instead of muttering about your financial tragedy, you should be muttering the word God.
My God shall supply all of my needs! My God shall meet my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus! You need to allow that to preoccupy your thinking. It should dominate your mind.
When we meditate God’s word, it says, then we will observe to do God’s word. When we come up to a situation where we are powerless to obey His Word, meditating in God’s word will give us the ability to act. When we have properly meditated, we can observe prosperity and we can find good success.
These are principles that need to be applied to our life. These aren’t success formulas that work overnight. This isn’t some get-rich-quick scheme that someone came up with at random. No, this is a principle of life in Jesus Christ.
Let me pray for you! Father in Jesus name, I want to ask you to be a blessing to each person who reads this. Today, I’m thanking you that your anointing is flowing through their lives in the name of Jesus. I’m asking that you bring forth in their hearts the commitment to set your Word as top priority in their life. And Father, we thank you for it in Jesus name.
