Read Hebrews 4:12-13
What a powerful reading! Don’t you feel empowered to spend as much time as possible in God’s word? The Bible is one of my favorite things. I hope it’s that way for you, too! When we hold a Bible in our hands, we have access to God’s love letter designed to make our lives better.
When we spend time in God’s word, the foundations of our faith are illuminated. The Bible continues to give us exactly what we need. The Preacher says, “the word of God is alive and powerful.” What does that mean to you? Think of the times you’ve read the same passage and each time something else “jumps out” at you. God’s word is alive and will speak to us in different ways. It’s up to us to be paying attention.
What did you think of this image? “It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.” Considering how hard our hearts can become and how we can exhaust ourselves trying to “look good” for God, the words of the Bible would need to be sharp and relevant enough to get our attention.
How many times have you skimmed past the words of Scripture because you knew what was there. Perhaps you even avoided certain passages because they made you feel uncomfortable. God’s word is intentionally crafted to speak to all our weaknesses. The encouragement is astounding when we let it sink into our hearts. Just as God has a purposeful message for us in his word, we need to obedient and pay attention and let God’s Word slice through the chaos of our lives.
As a mother with “eyes in the back of her head,” I know how to keep watch over my children. How does it make you feel to hear, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God.” God has eyes everywhere! We may be able to disguise our hurts and habits so that our friends and family don’t know. But God sees all and knows all. We can’t cover up our faults, our sinfulness. The good news is that God loves us despite our weaknesses.
Unconditional love like that is the greatest blessing. If you are a dog owner, you know how excited your pet is when you return home from work or a trip to the store. I imagine that God’s love for us is a little like that. He knows our hidden thoughts, good and bad, yet he loves us. He is crazy about us. Take a moment to just let that sink in.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably had an accountability partner at one time or another. Maybe it was a prayer partner. Maybe it was a business partner. Somebody was keeping you accountable to a task, to hitting a goal, or to getting the job done. The Preacher tells us here that God “is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Think for a moment about how accountability works. You set an activity goal and commit to it by telling your accountability partner. Over the agreed time, you work toward that goal, always knowing you are going to be reporting to your accountability partner. Generally, there is regular communication and encouragement occurring. We rely on those partners to give us the momentum we need.
So how is it different with God? The line of communication is always open. He is cheering us on. He is always watching our progress and our failures. But he loves us. He wants more than anything for us to succeed. We need to stay connected to him through his Word and in prayer. We need to come to him and ask him for help. He is our lifeline.
What area of your life would you like help with today from the best accountability partner you’ve ever had? God is listening.
Let’s pray. Father, thank you for cheering me on and directing my feet. I thank you for how you are working in my life. There may be many hurdles yet to jump through to find your purposes for my life. I want to be running with you, God. May I rely on the truths of your word in all I say and do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
