October 8, 2022 8:00 pm
Stephen was an up-and-coming comedian, and a prodigal. Raised in a Christian family, he struggled with doubt after his dad and two brothers died in a plane crash. By his early twenties, he’d lost his faith. He found it one night on the frigid streets of Chicago. A stranger gave him a pocket New Testament, and Stephen cracked open the pages. An index said those struggling with anxiety should read Matthew 6:27–34, from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount.
Stephen turned there, and the words kindled a fire in his heart. He recalls, “I was absolutely, immediately lightened. I stood on the street corner in the cold and read the sermon, and my life has never been the same.”
Such is the power of Scripture. The Bible is unlike any other book, for it’s alive. We don’t read the Bible. The Bible reads us. “Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit . . . it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Scripture presents the most powerful force on the planet, a force that transforms and leads you toward spiritual maturity. Open it and read it out loud, asking God to ignite your heart. He promises that the words He has spoken “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Your life will never be the same.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.
I'm Mike Whitmer and I entitled our reading, The Power of Scripture. Stephen was an up-and-coming comedian, and a prodigal. Raised in a Christian family, he struggled with doubt after his dad and two brothers died in a plane crash. By his early 20s, he'd lost his faith.
But he found it one night on the frigid streets of Chicago. A stranger gave him a pocket New Testament and Stephen cracked open the pages. An index said those struggling with anxiety should read Matthew 6, 27-34 from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
Stephen turned there and the words kindled a fire in his heart. He recalls, Such is the power of scripture. The Bible is unlike any other book, for it's alive. We don't just read the Bible. The Bible reads us. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart, the right of the heart, and the right of the soul. The writer of Hebrews declares, Scripture presents the most powerful force on the planet, a force that transforms and leads us toward spiritual maturity. Let's open it and read it out loud, asking God to ignite our hearts. He promises that the words he's spoken will not return to him empty but will accomplish what he desires and achieve the purpose for which he sent it.
Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Hebrews 4, verses 12-13. For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joint and marrow.
It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the Bible. Please make it come alive in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2022-12-23 21:05:17 / 2022-12-23 21:06:34 / 1
