Your Words

I spent some time praying this morning before Bible study. (I was in the shower and it was quiet, which is a glorious thing because let's face it, even the shower isn't always a quiet place during this season of raising lots of little ones!). I was just praying and asking God to speak fresh words to all of my fellow BIble-studiers today. I want you to know that God has to do some major refining of my heart each week before I come to you with a lesson. I've always seen my husband go through this process before he preaches, but it wasn't until I started preparing and teaching a Bible Study class that I realized how painful that sanctification process can be. I'll be completely honest here - I sat at my computer last night, Bible open, commentaries at the ready, and really felt like I had NOTHING to offer. I bowed my head to ask the Lord to speak through His Word as I prepared and let me tell you, He came through! He is so faithful.

But back to my shower-prayer. As I offered my words to him, offered my day to him, offered myself as a living sacrifice to him, He brought a passage of Scripture to my mind. The Armor of God. Being that I was in the shower, I didn't have a Bible handy, so I had to rely on my memory to remember what Scripture says. In my own paraphrasing version of Ephesians 6:10-17, I recalled a few things - "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes...Put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth...Take up the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God..."

Well, that's what made me stop in my showering-tracks. Several months ago as Chris preached through Ephesians, we spent several weeks studying the Armor of God, so I remember that all of the pieces of the armor of God are defensive weapons, meant to protect and defend the believer, except one - the sword of the Spirit. That sword is the only offensive weapon that is listed. We can use the Word of God to tear down strongholds and defeat the devil. We can use it in times of temptation and testing and trials and in times of joy and celebration and gladness. But God showed me something new this morning in my time with him.

Before I can ever use the Sword of the Spirit to slay the enemy, I must first allow it to pierce my own flesh and penetrate my own heart. 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

One of my favorite songs lately is "Your Words", recorded by Third Day. Check out these lyrics:

"Let us speak your words more than ours, more than ever,

Let us share your love with all the world.

Your words give us life that's never ending,

Your words bring us love that never fails,

Everything else will fade away but what will remain are your words."

My personal prayer lately is that God would give me a hunger for His Word and drown out all the other voices that try to distract me. As I prepare to teach His Word, I pray that I would speak His Words more than my own and that I would point you ladies to Scripture as your source of life and love and joy and help and forgiveness and grace. His Word is SO GOOD. 

We studied the parable of the sower a few weeks ago in Matthew 13. My prayer for you, dear reader, is that your heart would be fertile soil that the seed (the WORD of God) would take root in and bear fruit that brings God honor and glory. May it be so.