Hebrews 4:12 - "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."
God's word is true. And His word about His word is true. God's word "is living and active,...discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
I was asked to serve a funeral where the family of the deceased is divided. Oh, they clearly love each other, but they explicitly made it clear that there's no unity amongst themselves religiously. A couple of women, with a few other funeral attendees, have a living faith in Jesus. The others amongst the family and attendees were self-professed atheists, agnostics, and Jews.
I tried to but couldn't figure out what to do.
So I gave up, praying, "Lord, if your word is true, then it really needs to be true now. I'll prepare, but you're going to have to speak through me so that no one at this funeral is offended but that everyone is ministered to, and maybe even brought to faith, by your word of comfort, hope, and life through Jesus."
Y'all, I was reluctant to tell all this to you because it may come across to some as bragging. But that's a risk I'm willing to take to tell you that God did an amazing thing at that funeral as testified to by the nods of the head and the smiles through the tears during the funeral, the fearful grandson who found courage to play a song after the scriptures were read, and the personal testimonies spoken by a number of the previously, self-professed non-Christians after the funeral.
Friends, we all have self-professed atheists, agnostics, and non-Christian people in our lives. But their word is not, because no human word is, as sharp and strong and transforming as God's word.
Dear God, there are so many different people and hearts in front of us each day. Please help us to listen for, hear, trust, and speak your words and plans above our own. And then please grant us to see your transforming work in each life, including granting us to see, in our own life, a deeper confidence in your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen!
Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson
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