For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)
Playing an outdoor sport is very often a blessing. You get to experience the beauty of God’s creation and soak up that wonderful sunshine, especially in the summer months. We are getting into a time in the year when, for golfers, sunscreen becomes of the utmost importance. It is always important, but the rays are a bit stronger in the summer since they hit us directly rather than the indirect exposure of winter.
When we are not in the Word, we live blind to our sin and fail to realize how quickly we turn away from the Lord.When you miss a spot on your body where you meant to apply sunscreen—ears, face, neck, legs, arms or hands—you are quickly reminded either that day or the next that the sunshine exposes where you lacked sunscreen!
Similarly, when we come to God’s Word, it shines a light on our hearts and exposes the sin in our lives. As our verse today tells us, God’s living and active word pierces “to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Wow, that’s revealing! What we may think is personal, we cannot hide from our Creator.
When it is cloudy and we are not in the sunshine, we typically do not see the effects of sun damage, but when we are walking outside in the summertime and the sun is beating down on us, we can’t escape it. The sun will have an effect on us.
Likewise, when we are not in the Word, we live blind to our sin and fail to realize how quickly we turn away from the Lord. However, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 19:7-8, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.” God’s perfect words bring new life to the soul and vision to the eyes!
Lastly, the sun provides light and when I think of light I can’t help but think of the numerous connections between the Son of God and the light of the world, Jesus. Jesus, our Savior, says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Walking in the light will not always be easy, but it will certainly always be worth it. Stop today, open your Bible and let the light into your life. The Word sheds light on the Savior, and the Savior sheds light on the Word. How we need them both!
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Aimee Neff
May 18, 2017
Copyright 2017 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.