WHAT IS IN YOU?

Circumstances, however trying, never put into you what was not there before. The hammer does not put the sound into the bell - it brings it out. A wooden surface would not respond as metal does. Difficult people don’t put the pride or resentment into you: they are God’s "hammers" to show you what is already there. "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 4:12-13 NIV). The Word of God is not merely words from God, a vehicle for communicating ideas; it is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us. With the incisiveness of a surgeon’s knife, it reveals who we are and what we are not. It discerns what is within us, both good and evil. We must not only listen to the Word, we must let it shape our lives.