Digging Deeper: Hebrews 4:12

I married a godly man.  And one of the things that I love most about him is his ability to challenge me.  One of the places he loves to read articles from is The Gospel Coalition Blog.  Oftentimes, if he finds a really good read, I'll find a link to it in my email from him.  Recently, he sent me an article titled "Why Do We Say, 'God Told Me'?" by Nancy Guthrie.

It's an article that has stuck with me over the last couple of days.  Especially while we have been house hunting.  Nancy speaks of the topic of people saying that 'God told them' something - alarms going off unless followed by Scripture.  Instead of actually hearing the voice of God speaking to us, she firmly states that God speaks to us through His Scripture.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Here are three excerpts from her article in relation to the above verse that have really stayed with me:

"It is exposing our shallow beliefs and hidden motives. This word is personal.  You and I hear the voice of God speaking to us—unmistakably, authoritatively, and personally—when we read, hear, study, and meditate on the Scriptures."

"We genuinely long for a personal word from God, a supernatural experience with God. Yet we fail to grasp that as we read and study and hear the Word of God taught and preached, it is a personal word from God. Because the Scriptures are "living and active," God's speaking to us through them is a personal, supernatural experience."

"We don't have to wait until we hear God give us the go-ahead before we say "yes" or "no" to a request or make a decision. We can consult the Scriptures and rest in the wisdom and insight the Holy Spirit is developing in us and feel free to make a decision."

I am not going to hear a distinct 'yes' or 'no' in any given situation.  I can't walk through a house and ask God to tell me if that one is the house for my husband and I.  BUT, I can feel peace over a situation if I am in His Word, if I am seeking His wisdom.  Hebrews 4:12 reminded me that the Word of God is living and active.  And I need to be in it.  If I'm not, I am not going to hear God speaking to me through it.  And if I'm not in it, then any decision I make I am making on my own, rather than with His wisdom.  It reminds me how important it is to be in His Word daily.

Check out the full article here: Why Do We Say, 'God Told Me'? by Nancy Guthrie