LIVING WORD
05th Mar 2025
Hebrews 4:12 declares, “For the word of God is living 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.”
Some years ago I was conversing with a young woman, discussing Bible reading and its benefits. She had been through a YWAM training course, but wasn’t regularly reading the scriptures. As far as I could tell, when and if she read it was to acquire knowledge and have theological understanding. I remember feeling physically shocked. She was a born again believer, but with a purely academic approach to the Word of God.
I shared with her my own approach. I believe the Bible is a living book, and as I read I expect to be spoken to, challenged, enlightened and corrected. I expect the Holy Spirit to take the written text and to speak specifically into my inner being.
2 Timothy 3:16 says in the Message, “Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”
I read with the expectation that I will hear the voice of the Spirit beyond the words on the paper, and that I will be changed. It is my daily bread, my sustenance, my manual for life.
One night we had visitors and in our conversation the question was asked, “Would you call yourself pentecostal or charismatic?” The discussion became quite passionate, and declaring myself “pentecostal” was strongly advocating the need to be filled with the Spirit of God and to be earnestly seeking to see the gifts of the Spirit released in our lives.
It all became quite heated and I was not gentle in my approach. Eventually we headed for bed all feeling disturbed. I am in the habit of reading Old Testament, Psalms and New Testament on a daily basis, and I had not read the NT reading that day. I needed something to settle my spirit and opened my Bible to 1 Peter 3, and found in verse 15 that I should have expressed myself with “gentleness and respect”.
I was immediately convicted, asked God for forgiveness and went downstairs to ask the others for their forgiveness. It was given and I learned a painful lesson!
Another time I was facing a set of difficult circumstances, knowing that which ever choice I made was going potentially to cause upset! My OT reading landed in Isaiah 54 and verse 17 in the Message said, “This is what God’s servants can expect. I’ll see to it that everything works out for the best. God’s Decree.” And that is what happened.
This week my Bible reading has included Mark 5 where the words spoken to the woman healed of the issue of blood, “Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you are healed and whole - live well, live blessed. Be healed of your plague.”
PS - For the next two weeks there will be no “Word for the Week” we are going to “live well, live blessed” as we are on holiday.
by Joyce Sibthorpe
