Is this why you don’t read your Bible?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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 (NIV))

Have you ever stopped to think about why people don’t read the Bible on a regular basis?

This passage gives us so much insight. For some people, it tells us why they dive into it and study it regularly. They are not afraid of what they will discover about themselves as they discover more and more about the Lord. For others, it tells us why they refuse to read God’s Word. They are afraid of what they will find out about the sin that they don’t want to change in their lives. Basically, it comes down to two very distinct groups. Either you hate the things of this world and you want to seek spiritual maturity and His truth, or you love the things of this world and you are afraid of spiritual maturity and want the lies.

Which end of the spectrum do you find yourself on?

Perhaps you are somewhere in the middle. You want to grow closer to the Lord, but you don’t want to give up your sins, so you pick and choose what you read and what you apply to your life. Is this truly growing closer to the Lord? Is this allowing the word of God to divide soul and spirit in such a way that it leads you to repentance? Is this allowing you to accept the judgment of your thoughts and attitudes of the heart in such a way that you willingly lay down your sins at the foot of the cross?

I, like many of you, have read this passage many, many times. I have always thought about it from the perspective of those who do seek the Lord and are willing to learn from His Word. I had never given it any thought from the perspective of someone who is comfortable in their sin until now. Now I understand why some people are reluctant to spend time in His Word. Now I understand why some people will not even open a Bible or have anything to do with God’s Word. Each of us must be willing to allow the penetrating and dividing judgment of our lives to work God’s Will within us so that we grow closer to Him, so that we may mature into what Jesus has saved us to be.

If you are not willing to allow this, if you are not seeking this, then reading God’s Word is folly.

Are you open to allow God’s Word to work in your life?

Is this why you don’t read your Bible?

Copyright 1998 – 2023 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Do you accept the Word made flesh!

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

For the word of God is living 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 (NIV))

Perhaps this is why so many people do not spend time in God’s Word!

It makes then reflect on what they are doing!

We are creatures of habit. Human nature is far too predictable. When people reflect, they do not like what they see, so instead of changing to fit what God has called them to, they ignore God and continue in their sin. They put away what makes them see the things within themselves that they don’t like. In their minds, it is so much easier to live with the sin that they know instead of taking a chance to be free from their sin.

The Word of God is not something to be taken lightly, or, for granted. It is alive and has meaning for every person who has ever lived, whether they choose to accept that meaning or not.

Those who accept the Word of God and Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, will have their lives examined and changed by the Holy Spirit. They will find themselves worthy to stand before the Father. Those who do not accept the Word of God will be told that Jesus never knew them and will be cast out from the presence of God.

When was the last time that you actually picked up a Bible and diligently read more than a single passage? It is true that their is power in all Scripture, but it was never intended for you to just read a single passage on a random basis. Just as a single one of your cells is considered alive, it takes the complete collection to fully come to life. The same is true of God’s Word. To fully comprehend the life that is contained within the pages of the Bible, you have to read and study the whole thing. Only then will you truly begin to know the heart of the Father.

Do you spend time in God’s Word?

Do you truly accept the Word of God?

Do you accept the Word made flesh!

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What are you prepared for?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
(Ephesians 6:1 (NIV))

How good are you at facing the things of this world on your own strength?

I can almost hear your thoughts on this. Everyone likes to put on a false front and tell the world that they have everything covered, while inside they are falling apart.

Are you like most people and tell everyone that you have everything covered? Do you tell yourself that as well? Do you honestly believe the lies that you tell yourself? What happens at the first sign of trouble?

I realize that I am asking a lot of questions, but in all honesty, what good is reading God’s Word if you don’t feel uncomfortable. It is intended to make you reflect, to make you stop and take a good, long, hard look at your life in relation to the passage in question.

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 (NIV))

With that in mind, are you tired of trying to face things on your own strength? You don’t need to do this. You don’t need to rely on what you can do. You don’t need to lie to the world and to yourself. You don’t need to sacrifice your joy for a false facade. You don’t need to listen to the lies of the enemy. Turn your eyes toward Jesus!

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10 (NIV))

Just how do you have life to the full? How do you rely on the strength of the Lord? How do you rely on His mighty power?

I am sure that you have thought of these questions yourself, but there is something else that came to my mind. The following words are often seen on bumper stickers, on social media, and many other places, but they hold true.

No Jesus. No peace.
Know Jesus! Know peace!

To be strong in the Lord means that you truly know Him. It means that you cling to His every word and to His every promise. It means that you know Jesus so well that you know without a doubt that all of His promises are Yes and Amen! You may recognize that Ephesians 6:1 is the beginning of the passages where we are told to put on the full armor of God. We are to surround ourselves with His Word. We are to understand that His Word is power. We are to understand that His Word is our protection against the enemy. We are to understand that His Word will defeat the enemy. We are to know His Word and His truth so well that we are prepared for anything that the enemy may try to send our way!

What are you prepared for?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
https://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Has the Word of God penetrated your life?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

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 (NIV))

What are some things that you consider to be sharp?

Perhaps you think of a sword. You might think of a broken piece of glass. If you can find your way around a kitchen, the knives may come to mind. If you have ever had a paper cut, an edge of a sheet of paper can bring on much agony. You may think of sewing needles, or perhaps even medical syringes, but have you ever thought about words being sharp?

Think about words for a moment.

The old saying that sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me is not entirely true. Words, if you let them, can penetrate deeper than almost anything. This is true because words can penetrate the soul. A wrong word can scar someone for life while the right word will change a life for the better. The Word of God does just that. The Word of God can and will change you if you will simply let it.

Many things that we consider to be sharp only penetrate our lives by accident. You will not deliberately cut yourself with a sword, a piece of glass, or a knife. A paper cut is never deliberate. Sticking yourself with a sewing needle is always by accident, and even medical syringes are introduced because of an accident or medical condition that must be addresses. I realize that there are exceptions to each of these, but for the most part, sharp objects are not willingly introduced into a person’s life.

If that is the case, then why do we introduce things into our lives through words that can cause just as much damage as a physical sharp object? What we watch, what we listen to, what we read and what we mindlessly fill our minds with penetrates deeply into our lives. If words can penetrate so deeply, then we must focus on words that will tear down our sinful nature and rebuild within us a righteous nature. We must make a decision to deliberately focus on the Word of God and allow it to penetrate our soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and judge our thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

It is a choice. It is our decision. What penetrates our lives is up to us.

Has the Word of God penetrated your life?

Copyright 1998 – 2022 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you an active worker in the harvest?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
(Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV))

What do you see when you look around?

Do you see what the world has to offer, or do you see a world of lost souls who need Jesus? Do you see an urgency to get the next big raise and promotion, or do you see an urgency to bring as many people as possible into God’s Kingdom?

Each of us will target our efforts based on what we see, which is a direct result of what is in our hearts. Sadly, it is often the world that is truly in our hearts. Even if we profess a faith in Jesus, many of us are still so caught up in the worldly task of living and making that almighty dollar, that we fail to see the world as Jesus sees it. We don’t truly see the lost because we are thinking of ourselves. We don’t see the needy because we are too worried about our own wants. We don’t make an effort to rescue the dying because we are too worried about the splinter in our finger that has demanded all of our attention!

I often wonder if we have come to look at God’s harvest the same way that we look at grocery stores. When we go into a grocery store, we see all of the things that have been harvested and prepared for our consumption, yet we fail to recognize the work that was required to get everything there. We fail to see the time spent in preparing the soil. We fail to recognize the care that was taken to nurture the plants as they grew. We don’t ever think about the long days spent cultivating the crop and we definitely don’t think of the effort that goes into harvesting the crop. We simply look at the options and find ourselves thinking that the price we must pay is too high!

Do we think that the price that we must pay to work the harvest is too high?

Are we willing to prepare the soil of the heart to receive the seed? Are we willing to nurture that seed in the lives of those who have seen it sprout? Are we willing to cultivate that seed in the lives of those who are growing in their faith? Are we willing to step out in faith and join in the harvest? Have you been sent into the harvest field? Have you been obedient and have you gone?

Are you an active worker in the harvest?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What does God’s Word mean to you?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

For the word of God is living 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 (NIV))

It is said that words often cut deeply. If the words of man can cut deeply into the hearts of those they are said to, how can we expect anything less from the Word of God, after all, it is sharper than any two edged sword?

The infinite wisdom that comes from God is far greater than anything that can come from man, yet, people disregard the Bible as being relevant in their lives. No other words, spoken or written, have caused so much controversy throughout history. For those who believe, it is the ultimate reference for how we are to live our lives. It is capable of reaching each of us in unique ways when we need it to. It is capable of speaking directly to our hearts. It is capable of speaking to people in the situations that they are in. It is living, for no written word could ever begin to touch people, or convict people, in this manner if it were not of God.

There are many types of people with respect to God’s Word. There are those who wholeheartedly accept it and live by it. There are those that say that it is from God, but that it is no longer relevant to today’s society. There are those who claim that it is a good book, but not God’s Word, and then there are those who shun the very words that are written in it. No matter which category you may fall into, there is no denying that the Word of God causes people to look inwardly and inspect their own lives. For those who are willing to accept correction, it is amazing. For those who are not willing to admit human frailty or their own misguided actions, it is irrelevant and will eventually be their judgment.

Whatever your opinion, it is true that the Word of God can penetrate deeply into each and every one of us. The only thing that is left to be determined is where on the spectrum of acceptance or rejection that you fall.

Does God’s Word guide you and correct you, or do you ignore it and the still, small voice that is knocking at the door to your heart?

What does the Bible mean to you?

Copyright 1998 – 2019 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you an obedient soldier in the Lord’s army?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
(2 Timothy 2:4 (NAS))

As a child, probably everybody sang the song about being in the Lord’s Army. If we are in the active service of Jesus, then we have an obligation to follow the “marching orders” that we are given.

In our nation’s army, a private obeys the orders that he is given by his sergeant or he faces disciplinary action. How can we, as believers in Jesus Christ, not obey the orders that we are given by our commander, after all, Jesus outranks the sergeant that the private obeys!

Yet, many people do not follow the orders or even worse, they ignore them.

We have a mission far more important than that of a soldier in a worldly army! We are to be the light in a dark world and we are to take that light to the world. If the private does not obey the sergeant for an extended period of time, he is subject to court martial. If believers do not listen to God, we are not subject to court martial or any retribution, but God does continue to give us “orders” for the advancement of His Kingdom. It is our choice whether we obey or not!

If we are truly soldiers in God’s Army, then we should be willing to obey.

Are you an obedient soldier in the Lord’s army?

Copyright 1998 – 2018 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What are you hearing from the Spirit?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
(Revelation 3:6 (NIV))

When John wrote down what he had been told to record in what we now know as the book of Revelation, he was given several messages for the churches. Each of the seven churches mentioned can be equated to an historical period, plus they can be equated to the conditions of almost any church that is in existence today. Each of the churches received a specific message that told them what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong.

How do you think these messages were received by the different churches?

How do you think these messages were received by the individual members of the different churches?

Now, imagine that you heard the following messages about your relationship with Jesus. How would you react?

You are dead. Wake up!

I am about to spit you out of my mouth!

I hold your sexual immorality against you!

Not very pleasant. Would you take it to heart and repent or would you go off in a huff because you got your feelings hurt? I have a little tidbit of information that you may want to consider. If it hurts your feelings, there is probably some truth to what you are hearing! Think about that from your experiences with different churches and pastors. Perhaps it was a passage of scripture that caused your feelings to be hurt. Whatever the situation may have been, remember the following.

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 (NIV))

God’s Word is not a sugar coated, feel good type of message. Truth can hurt. Are you willing to hear the truth even if it hurts your feelings? Are you willing to repent if the truth requires it?

What are you hearing from the Spirit?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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