That’s what I read this morning as I sat down to find a word from God as I end this chapter of Proverbs. I immediately thought of how God’s Word reveals to me who I truly am inside - the REAL me, that even I don’t always get - the very heart, including all of the ick inside!
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Then I saw the footnote that says this verse from Proverbs can also be translated this way, as we find in the KJV and many other translations:
The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. (Proverbs 20:27 KJV)
This seems to indicate that our own conscious is a searchlight into our hearts. So naturally, I turned to Jon Courson, who uses Romans 1 to confirm that our conscious, indeed, knows not only who we are, but who God is, because He has given us evidence in creation that our conscious confirms is true, leaving men without excuse in their rejection of God:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)
In order to reject God, we actually have to suppress the truth that He has given us! Notice that man’s main sin problems are in not honoring Him as God and in not being thankful! Doesn’t this express perfectly the current PC worldview of our culture? Remove all evidence of God so as not to offend anyone - yet by doing it, we have offended our Creator and headed into an abyss of unrighteousness!
So, since we apparently don’t heed our conscience and we ignore the evidence of creation, what DOES reach the heart to bring forth transformation? Well, God will do that for us if we just ask!
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)
And going back to the above verse from Hebrews, God’s Word, the two-edged sword, is the instrument that cuts to the quick in our hearts and reveals everything hidden. If we will just dive in and read it, His Word WILL accomplish God’s plan to transform us.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
God’s Word ALWAYS does what it is supposed to do! It reveals the true attitudes of our hearts and then transforms us from the inside out. We just need to READ it, STUDY it, then APPLY it. May God create in each of us a strong desire to do this daily!
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