Daily Devotional
Are You Guided by God’s Truth?
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
January 3, 2024
Ponder This
The Word of God is such a sharp instrument that if it were a literal sword, it could divide joints and marrow. Since it’s a spiritual sword, it divides the soul and the spirit. Do you know the difference between the soul and the spirit? I was preaching for a long time, and I didn’t know the difference between the soul and the spirit. I just thought that was the invisible part of a human being. You could call it his soul, you could call it his spirit—six of one, half a dozen of another. But the more I studied, the more I found out that the spirit is what makes man absolutely unique and in the image of God.
Plants have bodies, but they don't have souls. Animals have bodies and souls, but they don’t have a spirit. Only Man has a spirit because Man is made in the image of God and God is spirit. “Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). How important it is, then, that we have an instrument that can divide between soul and spirit.
So much of the trouble we get into in the spiritual world is because we cannot divide between soul and spirit. The reason we don’t divide between soul and spirit is that we do not know the Word of God as we should.
- How have you been guided by God’s truth in the past? How is it guiding you today?
- Why do you think we struggle to use the powerful tool of Scripture in our lives?
Practice This
Write down a verse to memorize this week.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
