Amazing power

It never ceases to amaze me the myriads of ways God uses the bible to speak directly to the hearts of hearers making application to their individual lives. This reality highlights to me the value of consistent, expositional teaching of the scripture in worship.

It never ceases to amaze me the myriads of ways God uses the bible to speak directly to the hearts of hearers making application to their individual lives. This reality highlights to me the value of consistent, expositional teaching of the scripture in worship.

I experienced this again Sunday as we enjoyed lunchtime conversation with friends over the morning message. Our study covered the verses in Colossians on “children obey your parents.” Throughout previous weeks the key passage in chapter two commanding us to “put off” the old self and “put on” the new self has been emphasized. Connecting this to each of the relationships described should result in a willingness to think of others before ourselves.

However, the interesting thing to me in this luncheon conversation was how the Holy Spirit took the same message yet applied it in each of our lives around the table in very different ways. One parent of a younger child was challenged not to frustrate or exasperate his son and admitted how difficult that could be. Another keyed in on the importance of training children to think of others rather than themselves.

Yet another related the story of an older, godly father of their acquaintance who challenged his children to learn to “say no to themselves at least once a day” in order to develop discipline and a habit of self-denial. Another in our conversation, whose children are adults, related how applying the truth of putting others before herself related to being willing to cook dinner even when her preference would be to dine out.

Our conversation validates for me the truth of Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.” The living Spirit takes the living Word and pierces our hearts with the message from the living God suited for our unique lives, needs, and situations. Neglecting to teach the bible consistently simply wastes a key purpose of God’s sharpest tool.