Hebrews 4:12 (Apr/May 2005 Issue)

Encouragement For Women

You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. Hebrews 3:13 (CEV)

Howdy! This here issue comes straight to you from “deep in the heart of Texas”! Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers!

In the last issue, at the very end I asked if you would be willing to participate with me in a study of Hebrews 4:12. I outlined one way to study scripture using Anne Grahm-Lotz’ method outlined in “The Revelation of Jesus Christ…-” I have included the same outline and some responses to it.

Hebrews 4:12

The How To:

1. Look in God’s word – read the scripture passage
2. What does the passage say? – Make a verse by verse list of the outstanding facts. (Who is speaking? What is the subject? What is taking place? When did it happen? Etc.)
3. What does the passage mean? – Look for a lesson to learn from each fact. Ask yourself: Is there a command I should obey? A promise I should claim? A warning I should heed? An example I should follow?
4. What does the passage mean to me? Take the lessons you identified in step 3 and put them in the form of a question you could ask yourself, or someone else. As you write the questions listen for God to communicate to you personally through His word.

Here’s my study of Hebrews 4:12

1. ¹²For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. (NLT)
2. God’s word is: Living, Active, Sharp as a scalpel, Can divide the soul & spirit, joints & marrow, Judges the heart’s attitudes & our thoughts.
3. God’s word is alive and in motion (John 1:1)! God’s word is not politically correct, nor is it pleasing to man, it has one purpose: to judge us in relationship to God.
4. Do I read, believe and share God’s word accordingly? Am I more interested in being pleasing to people or rather in not offending people than I am in where my heart is in relationship to God?

Here's a study of Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) –from a reader in Seattle, WA

1. ¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2. What does it say?

a. the Word of God is living

b. the Word is powerful

c. the Word is sharp

d. the Word can pierce us

e. the Word can divide soul and spirit, joint and marrow

f. the Word is a discerner of our thoughts and the intents of our hearts

3. What does it mean?

a. The Word of God is not merely words on a page. It is a real thing, eternal, unchanging, active. It is Jesus, who is alive! It applies to our lives, even today, because it is not dead.

b. The Word is powerful (okay, so it means what is says). It has power, it is a force (again, it is not merely words on a page). There is no weakness in the Word.

c. The Word being sharp relates to it being an active, living, powerful thing. It is not some soft and cozy thing to cheer us up and make us feel good. It hurts sometimes!

d. The Word gets in and hurts us (pierces us). It can even get into the dark, secret places of our hearts that we may not even know about.

e. The Word can dig out and remove the habits and fleshly lusts we cling to. Saying the Word divides "soul and spirit, joints and marrow" makes it even more clear how deeply the Word can pierce us, even into our most intimate, private parts. The Word can divide us from the sins we hold onto, but also from things which we think are good, but which are not God's will for us.

f. The Word can help us see when thoughts and desires we have (that we might think are okay) are contrary to God's will. The Word can reveal true motives.

4. What does it mean to me? (This is the hard part!)

a. Do I allow the Word to live in my life? Do I take the words off the page and hide them in my heart and apply them to my life? Or do I read them in the morning and leave them on the page?

b. Do I see the Word (the whole Word) as powerful? Is there any part of the Word that I see as less powerful (and thus believe to a lesser degree)? Do I take the words off the page so that their power can be worked out in me?

c. Do I avoid any part of the Word because it hurts too much? Do I read the Word with such openness and vulnerability that I allow it to hurt?

d. Is there any part of me that I have closed off to the Word and its power?

e. Am I willing to let the Word reveal sins or habits that I am clinging to? Am I willing to allow the Word to divide me from that which I find comfortable (because it is against God's will)?

f. Will I open my mind and my heart to the Word so that it can reveal the true me (warts and all)? How can I allow the Word to then shape my thoughts and the intents of my heart?

If you haven’t done so yourself, I urge you to take this verse and study it in this way to see what God wants to say to you. I know full well this isn’t the best or the only way to dig deep into God’s word, but I do like it and wanted to share how exciting it is to truly see what is in store for us as we plant these seeds of God’s inerrant words into our hearts!

Don’t you just love trials? I mean the really good ones that totally shake you up. The ones that make you cry at the drop of a hat, the ones that make you rethink yourself right through, the ones that make you stomp around feeling like life is completely unfair! No, of course you don’t and neither do I. As a matter of fact, I think I am a trials wimp. However, I really am encouraged when I open up my Bible and read the opening chapter of James. Right away he says there are going to be trials of many kinds. But before that he says to consider it pure joy to face them. Our God is just like that! Comforting us, helping us to see the good in all things and being realistic. Each of us has faced trials and each of us is going to face more trials. The amazing thing is that we are becoming more mature and complete as the testing of our faith develops perseverance. (James 1:1-4)

Perseverance: as stated by Meriam-Webster online is the condition of persevering. Persevering is to persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition, or discouragement. Or as I like to say, keep on keeping on. In hind sight this is so easy to type/say. However in the thick of battle, there is no rejoicing from me. If I could simply remember God’s promises to me, remembering that in Christ I am new and through Christ I can do (go through) all things – because HE strengthens me, then I would be able to praise Him. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 Yee haw for Jesus!

Thank you for reading this issue of Encouragement for Women. Please feel free to send your comments, suggestions or constructive criticism to me at: alentar@gmail.com. If you would like to contact me not concerning Encouragement for Women, you can email me at: tsunami.egg@gmail.com.

For the next issue: I would like to compile a list of Christian authored books that really inspire, exhort, challenge or encourage us as women. Please email me with the best biblically centered book you’ve read.

(From Apr/May Issue)

**Since this was originally published the email address has changed to: alentar@gmail.com **