“What God has said isn’t only alive and active, it is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls, and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Nothing is hidden from God! He sees through everything, and we will have to tell Him the truth.” Hebrews 4:12,13
Psalm 119:105 ” Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk.”
Years ago, when I was not restored, I would say about 46 years ago. I was in a very desperate place emotionally. I had just buried my firstborn child and had slipped into a social-phobic state. I would not go out of the house, because I had it in my head that I was in danger anywhere I went. I wish I could say I was crying out to God, but I was not crying out to anyone. But the Lord saw fit to cry out to me. He spoke to me audibly, told me to go get the bible. I did not have one, but I dug in a box of an old roomie’s things and found a bible. He took me to Daniel 3: the whole chapter. It was the story of King Nebuchadnezzar who had commanded that a statue of gold be created and set up that the King wanted his followers to worship before all men and all were commanded to bow down to this statue and worship it with song, instruments and their hearts.
The King said that anyone who refuses to bow down and worship this statue would be thrown into a flaming furnace. There were three Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego- who refused to bow down to worship this statue that the king had set up. The King was furious, he told his soldiers to throw these three into the furnace. The three said to the king, “We don’t need to defend ourselves. The God we worship can save us from you and your flaming furnace. They also said but even if He doesn’t, we still won’t worship your gods and the gold statue you have set up.” So, they were thrown into the furnace and people throwing them in were killed by the flames, and those watching could see the images of 4 people walking around in the fire. Then the King was able to see the four images walking around, no longer bound up but walking free in that furnace, so he called the three out of the furnace. The men were not burned or scorched in anyway-they did not even smell like smoke. King Nebuchadnezzar said: “Praise their God for sending an angel to rescue His servants, he made a decree that no harm would be done in that region against these men. To be in the drastic state that I was in and read such a miraculous story I was able to see that though they were bound and thrown into the flames, God delivered them out of that situation, I began to see how God was showing me that I would be able to be delivered out of the state that I was in. God certainly had my attention! Though there is a lot more to this story, I want to remain focused on how important God’s word was in speaking into my life, calling me out of darkness back into His glorious light. I was drawn to a church and then remained in a state of restoration for years to come. He had also told me at this time the importance of staying into His word, it will teach us all that we need to know. My love and passion for God’s word, came by personal invitation from God, as He could see what a mess I was. I thank God that He loved me that much! He loves all of us that much!
“Be like newborn babes who are thirsty for the pure, Spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. You have already found out how good the Lord really is. Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored.”1 Peter 2:2-4
Read His word daily for direction, strength and life.