Strap on Our Sword

Pastor Rusty Hayes is preaching a series on “Uphill Habits.”  On Sunday he spoke on “What We Think.”  The habit he asked us to address is the need to control our thoughts, because: we are not just what we eat; we are what we think; everything begins with a thought; what we think determines how we feel; and, our thoughts determine our destiny.  In order to master this habit, we need to find a plan to control our thoughts, a safe place to think, a person to stretch our thinking, a purpose to land our thoughts and a power to fuel what we think.

Meditation
Hebrews 4:12--For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.
 
The word sword is used 397 times in the Bible. Profoundly, the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:17 thatGod’s Word is the sword of the Spirit.  The sword is a weapon that often symbolizes military power, authority or a means to bring justice.  The author of Hebrews reminds us that Scripture cuts to the very core of our being and has the capacity to judge the ideas and thoughts that come from our heart.  Therefore, if we want to control what we think, we need to strap on our sword!   The more devoted we are to understanding and applying Scripture to our daily living, the better equipped we will be to think and act.  
            
I start my day by reading Scripture. Lately I’ve taken to walking after I’ve read and communicating back to the Lord what I’ve gleaned from time in His Word. This improves my concentration, leads to better application, and directs my thinking.  Oswald Chambers once taught:
Only when we receive the Holy Spirit and are lifted into total readjustment to God do the words of God become “living and powerful” to us.  The only way the words of God can be understood is by contact with the Word of God.  The connection between our Lord Himself, who is the Word, and His spoken words is so close that to divorce them is fatal.[1]
            
It is a great thing to control our thoughts so that we may become godly.  So let’s strap on our sword daily and get about the business of powerful living for the glory of the Life-Giver! 
 
Inspiration
We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.—John R. W. Stott
 
©2019 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)


[1] Oswald Chambers in Biblical Ethics p. 122.