marrow

Loving my study in the book of Hebrews. One of the most commonly quoted verses about God’s word is found in chapter 4, verse 12:

“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.”

God’s word gets right down to business. It cuts through our bone-hard self-protection to the soft inner marrow of our hearts. It exposes the root of our sins and problems: our thoughts and attitudes. We are always trying to deal with our sins from the outside, attempting to change our behavior with self-control. God wants to deal with the inner root of the problem in our hearts and in our minds. The disease of sin has infected the marrow of our hearts. The sin we see in our “outer” lives is only a symptom of the inner problem.

Beware…the enemy wants us to believe that God is always pointing fingers at us and frowning upon our sin. This morning, the Lord drew my attention to the progression of verses after the one we’ve been looking at. If we continue in Hebrews 4, we see:

verse 13  “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. everything is uncovered and laid bare before him…” It is true that God’s word uncovers even the secrets in the marrow of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. However,this is not the end of the issue.

verse 15  “for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have (Jesus) who has been tempted in every way, just as we are…”   What is revealed in my heart… what He finds there… Jesus understands. He walked this earth, fully human. He battled temptation. Someone challenged me with this question: Why would the scriptures say that He was tempted in the desert if it wasn’t REALLY a temptation? If it wasn’t temptation, then it would have been called something else. It was a temptation that He had to battle.  He understands how hard it is to face sin and overcome.

verse 16  “let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and grace in our time of need.”  He does not condemn us for our temptations and our sins.  He offers grace every time. So approach Him with confidence! He knows your struggle.  He has been tempted and angered. He has been rejected, judged, and gossiped about.  He has been desperate to avoid suffering (read Matthew 26 and Mark 14).  He handled all of these situations in a way that pleased the Father, yet He does not condemn you for being unable to do the same.

He loves you! He understands you! Do not hide from Him. You may fear that opening your heart will leave you judged and vulnerable.   However, opening your heart makes it possible for him to pour out his love and mercy. Uncovering the marrow of your heart is the only way to be transformed! He will bring healing where you need it. He will bring the inner change that you need. He will shower you with grace!

Open your heart to Him.