Not an ordinary book
by Annie Duarte
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The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
The Bible is a unique book in that each time you open it, something new will happen. You may learn something you didn’t know before, despite having read the same passage many times. You may be convicted of something that needs to change in your life. You may feel the loving embrace of the Father as he reassures you with his promises. You may come across a verse or idea that gives you wisdom and direction for a situation in your life. The more you read the Bible, the more you will want to read the Bible. It is not like any other book.
Sometimes the word of God will practically jump off the page at you. This happened to me with Romans 12:2:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.
It was one of the first verses I read when I started to follow Jesus, and it left me convinced that there were many parts of my life that I needed to give back to the world and leave behind. Prior to this, I was so conformed to the pattern of the world that the rhythms of grace were foreign to me.
Everything about me changed – very quickly! What I prioritised, what I wore, how I spent my time, how I spoke, my relationship with material things, my relationships with others … they all had to be renewed in accordance with God’s will. I couldn’t do this with my own determination. God was gracious to renew my mind. The old was gone, and the new had come – I was a new creation.
People from my old life even asked me what had happened. They wondered why I wasn’t interested in the same things I used to be. All I could say to them was that Jesus had changed my mind and heart for good. There was no going back. This is just one small story of the power of God’s word. Memorise his word. Utilise it. Speak it out loud in your daily life. It holds weight. It changes things. Praise God.
God, let your word come alive in me. Let my heart be receptive to whatever you have for me. Amen.
Annie Duarte is a wife, mum, worship leader and preschool Bible teacher. She and her husband serve in ministry together in the United States. Annie loves seeing God’s word come alive to people of all ages.
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