Proverbs 30.5-6
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.”
In God’s inspired Scriptures, every word is chosen for value. He has purified his inspired words carefully, just as gold and silver are purified in a refining fire. This is also the message in Psalm 12.6: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
A sword is another metaphor that is used to describe the word of God. Here is what the NT book of Hebrews says: “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. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
The word of God is not a mere book. It is not simply words on a page. It is Spirit-inspired, and therefore dynamic and powerful. It is “living and active” as the Hebrews passage says, and it cuts through our attempts to hide or rationalize. The Bible is the only book that when you read it, the Author is always present. The Lord uses the word to penetrate deep into your life, reaching places within us that we fear to go. The word exposes “the thoughts and intentions of the heart” and calls us to be completely honest and open before God.
The Lord uses the word to cut to the heart of what is most important. The Lord uses the word to speak truth into our life. However, he does not force his word on us. We must choose to submit. We must invest the time to read, study, reflect, and pray. The Spirit prompts, moves, and convicts, but he does not force. He has given us the gift of choice, and he wants us to choose Him.
The message in Hebrews 4 is that the sword of the Spirit is not only for fighting external battles with the devil; it is also for fighting internal battles with yourself. With your old nature. With the part of you that enjoys sin. With your deepest thoughts and intentions. God invites you into a relationship with himself, and when you respond to that invitation he will leave no part of your life untouched. God invites you to follow him all the time in everything.
This is also the message of Psalm 119.9-11: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
In fact, all of Psalm 119 is about the Word in the life of God’s people. We will look at more of Psalm 119 tomorrow …
