Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
Today’s Devotional
I once participated in a funeral of a woman who was killed in a car crash. The community and our congregation were devastated by the event. She had three teenaged sons and was beloved member of our church. You can imagine that feeling in the room as the funeral opened. It was tense. It was heavy. It was restless. It was hopeless.
My part in the service was to begin, right after the opening prayer, to read scripture. This particular church had a habit of reading A LOT of scripture at funerals – especially at the beginning of the service. I stepped up to the pulpit and began to read.
As I continued, I noticed something happening. The feeling in the room was changing. I kept reading and it changed some more. It was not becoming happy. No, it was becoming peaceful. The heaviness in the room started to lift. People who were restless were becoming settled. The hopelessness seemed to lessen.
What had happened? No sermon had been preached. No remembrances had been shared. No hymns had been sung. The only thing that happened was the reading of God’s word.
“The word of God is alive and powerful” says the writer of Hebrews in our reading this morning. I believe that with all my heart. I’ve seen it in action. As we start in on our last two weeks of reading the entire New Testament, I hope you are also seeing the power and “aliveness” of the scripture.
The Holy Spirit takes these words written so long ago and infuses them with life and energy. They are not incantations or magic words. But they are alive – filled with meaning and significance for our lives today. Sometimes they convict. Sometimes they comfort. But at all times they are important.
Our job is to listen.
Today’s Prayer
God thank you that we have your word available to us today. Help us to open ourselves up to the power of scripture in our lives even this day.
Amen
This Week’s Immerse Passages:
Week 7, Feb 15-21; Hebrews, James, John
Day 31 pp. 367-377 Heb 1:1-7:28
Day 32 pp. 377-387 Heb 8:1-13:25
Day 33 pp. 389-396 Jam 1:1-5:19
Day 34 pp. 397-411 Joh 1:1-6:70
Day 35 pp. 411-423 Joh 7:1-12:50
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