Living and Active

I didn’t share my perspective on the week last week.  That’s because the ten days prior to that were packed full of long days and short nights.  I was in a one-week intensive class at school last week and was presented with more ministry opportunities than I could physically keep up with surrounding the week.  Busy isn’t necessarily bad.  It’s just busy.

After returning this week, I found myself unable to “let down” from the intensive school and ministry time the prior week.  Plenty of work awaited me here and I’ve been making some progress crossing off items from my whiteboard-task-list.  While moving through the week, though, I find myself thinking through conversation after conversation from the past couple weeks.

My professor in class last week is the pastor of a church in Akron, Ohio.  She was a joy to listen to because she is filled with the fruit of God’s Spirit.  Even though she is in her second battle with cancer, she had the energy to teach and challenge us, encourage her children, and keep things moving back with her home church.  As we talked, God’s Word was our language of choice and God’s Spirit was moving powerfully throughout the week.  I was reminded of the following passage.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. 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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:9-13 NIV84)

Our professor has clearly entered a Sabbath rest with God.  We rest in Him, knowing that God’s got this.  The same sword of the lord (God’s Word) that can stop us in our tracks will also protect us from our enemies.  God’s Word is living and active.  It knows how to perfectly fight the enemy while loving people.  It knows how to shine light on the dark places in our hearts and, like no other, it knows how to give us the abundant life.  I’m so grateful for God, the life God has given me, and for God’s Word.