The Sword of The Spirit

Call To Prayer 

Title: The Sword of The Spirit 

By: Njuacha Hubert 

Date: 03.02.2024 

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. Hebrew 4: 12 

The word of God is indeed alive and active. The word (Jesus), comforts, heals, encourages but it is also purifies, disrupts, purges and challenges. The latter part, the not so appealing part, that purging and purifying part, is what I wish to emphasize on today.  

Naturally, we all like to be encouraged or comforted but there is also another need that we may not always happily accept its methods, but it remains a pertinent need. That need is for growth. We all are excited about the thought of growth, but the trouble is that the methods for growth are not easy. Growth comes through patience, discomfort, disruption, pain (You may picture your gym experience). But in the end, you will be proud and happy if you endure the growth process. 

Just as there is need for growth in the physical, so it is in the spirit. The word of God is the food of the spirit (Mathew 4:4). The scriptures contain so many comforting and soothing messages but if you accept only this part then you have an incomplete meal and unbalanced diet. You also need to hear and remember the tough parts like “…whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23).  

The word says “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Psalm 85:8). That’s because the word just like a sword cannot penetrate a stony heart. A stony heart is a heart of unbelieve, a heart that does not believe the word (Hebrews 3:7-19). A stony heart can also be a self-righteous attitude. For instance, when we hear the word and instead of evaluating ourselves, we are thinking about those it may concern. God has called us to be perfect not better than A or B (Mathew 4:48). However not perfection on our own but by abiding His presence where we obtain grace and overflow in righteousness (John 15:2-8). 

Prayer Point:  

Let’s thank God for His word. Let’s pray for the grace to open hearts to receive His word in humility allowing Him to purge us and improve us to become more like Him always.