Is the Word of God Dead?

German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche created a great deal of controversy when he made a now infamous statement about the death of God. Nietzsche reasoning behind this statement was the idea that science and rationalism had replaced God in the hearts of men. Those of us who are believers in Christ do not consider God to be dead, but do often neglect the relevance of God’s word. If God’s word doesn’t apply to us, it is as if God is actually dead. If we do not rely on God’s word, what do we have left to rely on?

David shows a true love for and dedication to God’s word in the Psalms. In Psalms 119:97, David states that he loves God’s law and meditates on it all day long. David says that God’s commands make him wiser than his enemies. Matthew 4:4 informs us that we live by the word of God. If we hunger only for material blessings and ignore the word of God, we will starve. How many of us starve ourselves the very moment the worship service ends? How many of us read the scriptures without allowing them to constantly live within us? Scripture must be used not just in emergencies, but in every moment!

Hebrews 4:12-13 is a striking description of the nature of God’s word. We do not live as Christians only when it is convenient for us to do so. God’s word is meant to penetrate the soul, transforming the “thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” God doesn’t give out ‘free passes’ to be used at our leisure and neither does Satan. If we choose to merely emulate the standards and practices of the world, God will know and He will judge us accordingly. If we allow ourselves to wander from the word of God, Satan will find us.

Cut Off Your Hand

In the realm of landscaping and gardening, pruning is the method of removing diseased, non-productive, or otherwise unwanted segments from a plant. Pruning allows one to control a plant’s growth, preserve a plant’s health, and increase the quality of a plant’s fruits and flowers. Types of pruning range from simply pinching off buds to heading, which is removing all of branches and growths down to a few large branches or the trunk of a tree. Pruning involves very specific techniques and time periods. Bad pruning can lead to decay and the early death of some plants.

Human beings often allow themselves to grow as carelessly as wild plants. We allow Satan to find weaknesses in our defense and use these faults to destroy us. Many of us don’t take our decisions as seriously as we should. Why would we when this takes so much effort and planning? Why not just do what feels right? Like in pruning, removing our areas of weakness prevents devastation and allows us to live productively.

In Matthew 5:29-30 Jesus says that if our eye or hand causes us to sin, we should cut them off. Jesus says that it is better for us to loose one body part than to have our entire bodies thrown in to hell. While Jesus might have not been speaking literally, he certainly was speaking seriously. We have to find the unwanted areas of our life and remove them. These areas aren’t always obvious to us, but they can undeniably lead to our downfall. Our lives require constant pruning in order that we reach our true potential.

What Would You Do For a Blessing?

The story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:19-28:22) is a one of sibling rivalry, deception, and bad business decisions. It is a story of two different nations formed from two very dissimilar brothers. Isaac, the son of Abraham, is married to Rebekah. Rebekah is unable to have children and it is only through prayer that God blesses Isaac and Rebekah with two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob, who would have fit well as the next Food Network star, was a smooth skinned young man who enjoyed cooking inside with his mother. Esau, on the contrary, was “a hairy man” who loved the great outdoors.

As their father Isaac was dying, Isaac asked that Esau hunt some wild game that can be eaten as part of a blessing ceremony. This symbolic gesture of giving one’s blessing was very significant. Jacob’s mother tells him to cover himself in goat skins (to simulate Esau’s hairiness) and pretend to be his brother in order to obtain their father’s blessing. When Esau finds out that the blessing has been stolen from him, he vows to kill Jacob.

Jacob takes this promise as a hint to skip town and begin running for his life. God appears in a dream that Jacob has at “a certain place”. God does not appear in a temple, a shrine, or an altar. God informs Jacob in a dream that Jacob will have what God promised and will be not be left by God. Jacob eventually marries, starts a family, and resolves his conflict with Esau. Jacob builds and altar to God where God spoke to him. God had plans to bless Jacob from birth, before his deception. God also has plans to find us where we are and give us blessings beyond what we can gain with our own efforts. Despite our conflicts and difficulties, God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. (Jer. 29:11)

Eat Your Vegetables!

Daniel 1 begins to tell us the story of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who conquered Jerusalem. One of the king’s first actions was to take young men in to captivity in order to train them as civil servants. These handsome, intelligent men of nobility were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonians. They were to change their names as each of their names contained the name of God. Finally, these young men were to eat the fine food of the Babylonians. Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge”, refused to eat the royal food as this was a sign of pagan living. He asked that he and his friends be given only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of these days, Daniel and his friends were healthier than their peers. They were given “knowledge and understanding” by God. Daniel was given the ability to interpret visions.

Satan wants us to learn the ways of the world and give up anything that connects us to God. It is Satan’s desire that we absorb what the world feeds us and allow ourselves to become just like everyone else. 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 further develops the idea of ‘watching what we eat.’ To a Christian, simple practices can become an act of compromise or demonstration of conformity. Simple phrases spoken in anger, what music we listen to, or the jokes we laugh at can all be signs of our compliance to worldly standards. We need to live separate and set apart as Daniel did, doing all things for God’s glory. We have an example to set for the world so we don’t “cause anyone to stumble.”