GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

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 4:12-13 NIV)

A few years ago, a cyst developed under the skin on the palm of my right hand. For a while, it was just a nuisance, but eventually it was painful enough that it made typing difficult – and since I was a journalist then, I had to do something about it or find a different job.

The procedure I faced was a delicate matter, requiring the surgeon to cut at just the right point so the entire cyst would be removed without damaging the mechanics of my hand. The surgeon was quite confident he could do this, but because this dealt with my “writing” hand, I found myself nervous about “going under the knife.” In fact, I’d had surgery for my appendix, my gall bladder, and a hernia, and I felt less nervous approaching those operations than I was for this one. (Note: Above surgeries the result of my warranty expiring when I reached age 39!)

As it turned out, the surgeon did an excellent job, and the only reminder I have of the event is a slight scar. My fingers work fine as I type this sentence.

All this to say – or illustrate – that the Word of God is “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 4:13 NIV)

To understand this verse, think of this division between soul and spirit in this way:

• Soul – Your soul is what you think of as you; it is God’s shape and design of you that makes you a unique individual. There will never be another you.
• Spirit – When you make peace with God, he fills you with the Holy Spirit. Once you were dead to God, disconnected from his fellowship. But, once cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, God gives you a direct connection to him through the Holy Spirit.

You see this Holy Spirit transformation when a chronic alcoholic is changed into a Bible-believing, God-fearing dynamo for God. And you see the Holy Spirit’s influence in you when you begin to think and act differently, when you desire to do God’s will, as opposed to just feeling you have to do God’s will. God changes your “wanter.”

Here’s the thing: God’s Word is able to penetrate between your selfish motives and godly motives, between your selfish thoughts and godly thoughts, and between your selfish attitudes and godly attitudes.

His Word is as delicate and precise as a surgeon skillfully removing a cyst from cartilage. The Great Physician operates with perfection as he slices away our bad attitudes, thoughts, motives – and actions – “laying us open to listen and obey.” (Hebrews 4:13 MSG)

What does this mean?

• Precise surgery – God’s surgery on you is precise, meaning he won’t cut away anything essential to your ability to be who he created you to be or to fulfill your purpose in life. For instance, he may be cutting away your anger, and you think you can’t live without it, but the Creator knows what is truly essential and what is what a “sin-cyst.”
• Pain does not define direction – God’s surgery may be painful, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad or somehow wrong. It’s often painful to let go of the wrong attitudes, motives, or thoughts that we’ve held onto for years.
• Changing “wanter” – Look for signs that God is changing your “wanter” – working within you in such a way that you no longer want to do the wrong thing; instead, you want to do the godly thing.
• Spiritual connection – Next time you hear someone discussing surgery, think about the spiritual surgery God does in your life. Thank him that his surgery doesn’t require health insurance! And remember that your spiritual healing came at great cost to God – from the blood of Jesus Christ. Praise God!

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32, NIV)

The Bible teaches us to “settle our relationships with each other.” (2 Corinthians 5:18, MSG) We’re told to consistently forgive others when they’ve wronged us and to ask forgiveness of others when we’ve wronged them.

Otherwise, we’ll “give up in despair,” feeling like we can never get out from under the weight of failed fellowship and failed trust. (2 Corinthians 2:7, CEV)

Whenever we’re hurt by someone, we have a choice to make: Will we focus on retaliation or resolution, on getting even or giving grace?

The Bible speaks candidly about settling the score: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” (1 Thessalonians 5:15 NIV) God teaches that vengeance is his, and that he’ll take care of repaying those who deserve it. (Romans 12:17-21)

In God’s economy, it’s not enough to say we won’t seek revenge; we’re to press into the very heart of forgiveness, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32)

The Bible is very clear that forgiveness is not optional for the Christ-follower. God sets this high standard because he knows how much is at stake in your life. Bitterness and unforgiveness are a cancer that eventually will destroy you from the inside out; forgiveness is the scalpel that removes the tumor.

This doesn’t mean you’ll always be able to immediately forgive and be done with it. As you become more and more Christ-like, that will become possible, but for now you may have to work at forgiving someone who has hurt you in a particularly painful way.

In other words, it is possible that you may forgive this person now but soon feel a root of unforgiveness begin growing in your heart.

When this occurs, you can go to King Jesus and ask him to help you with this cycle. He will help you release the offender, and the Holy Spirit will guide you in your effort. (Galatians 2:20-21; 2 Corinthians 5:14-18)

A major point here is that forgiveness is a choice you can make.

The power of God, working within you, means you no longer have to remain a slave to unforgiveness or bitterness.

What does this mean?

• When you forgive, you’re not pretending it didn’t hurt – Forgiveness means you no longer hold the offense against the offender. It means you’ve pardoned the debt, and you’ve intentionally chosen to release the one who hurt you. We’re to love deeply, because “love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)
• Be honest with God – Cry out to God; tell him exactly how you feel. He won’t be surprised or upset by your anger, hurt, insecurity, or bitterness.
• Stop! Talk to God – Have an honest conversation with God about someone you need to forgive. Our heavenly Father knows that it’s not easy to let go of your hurts, but he will give you the grace to forgive.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.