"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”
(Hebrews 4:12 TNIV)
Our signature verse from Hebrews is worth some attention. For it tells us that God’s word is both alive and active. This is a book that is a living tool: ever at work for those who read it, always with something to add to our lives. Moreover, the Bible is active in challenging and changing us down to our very core.
There is so much depth in this one verse, but by capturing the character and capacity of the word of God, I use it to encourage you to meditate on the word of God. For when you do, it starts to fulfil in your life the richness of its character and capabilities.
The Psalmists write about “meditating” on God’s law: “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97 TNIV). This concept of meditating is simply to rest upon and turn over in your mind what you have read. To linger awhile with Scripture. The twentieth century German theologian, pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer*, speaks of his routine of reading only small passages of Scripture at a time and living with a passage for a week – a discipline he instilled in those he mentored.
It is a discipline which the Lord has asked me to adopt: to take a short passage, sometimes simply a verse or two, and sit with it for a few days or a week. I read it over in different Bible translations and watch as the Word comes to life: leaping of the page to offer fresh angles and a deeper application to my life. If you are bilingual, read the verse in those different languages: “thoughts and attitudes of the heart” in English becomes “feelings and thoughts” in French – a shift that infuses nuance and resonance.
The impact of meditating on the Word has been significant. Seminal even. So, why not do likewise? Whether you struggle to read the Bible or you read it at length daily, this approach offers both an entry point to Scripture-reading and a powerful exploration for all.
We must never assume that the Bible has nothing more to teach us, however often we have read a passage, for it is indeed “alive and active”! And when we mull it over, we allow it to show us all that it can do!
Copyright © Sharmila Meadows 2021
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 2004 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, a division of Hodder Headline ltd. All rights reserved. “TNIV” is a registered trademark of International Bible Society.
*Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945) was a German pastor, theologian and Christian martyr, who was executed by his own Government for his active opposition to the Nazi regime.
Merci pour ce message et pour ton partage sur comment l’Esprit peut parler de différentes manières par un même passage. Pour ma part, s’il y a un verset particulier qui m’interpelle, j‘essaie de le lire en langue originale (hébreu ou grec) et de consulter les différentes traductions pour voir la variation de traduction (et d’interprétation) sur tel ou tel mot. La richesse qui en ressort est toujours surprenante... pour l’intellect mais aussi pour le coeur.
Dear Readers, I'd love you to share your experiences of Scripture-reading. What has helped you sustain regular Bible-reading or enabled the Bible to take hold of you? Thank you for checking in!