I have always had a fascination with knives. No, not the tomato-slicing kind or any other type that might commonly be found in a kitchen. I mean manly knives; knives used for hunting or military purposes.
When I was still just a boy I can recall my grandfather giving me an Old Timer knife. It was really neat to have it. The knife consisted of a metal frame surrounded by wood-like grips all housing three blades of varying lengths and widths. To this day I am not sure for what they were all supposed to be used. But even though I was uncertain of their use I was so proud that I had them.
That fascination and love for knives carried into my adult life as I would often visit gun and knife shows around our home in North Carolina. Again, I was so taken in by all the variety and intriguing designs. When I joined the Army I of course had to have tactical knives fit for a Solider. My favorite brand of knife to this day is SOG. Each day of my life I place my trusty SOG Trident in my pocket and if I happen to not have it with me I feel a bit lost and unprepared.
There is another blade I have also come accustomed to having by my side daily. This blade is not manufactured for tactical or hunting purposes. No, the purpose of this blade is far more noble than any knife used for sport or any article of war. My favorite blade is not folded and snugly placed in my pocket to help me feel fully dressed.
My favorite blade is actually the word of God. Any knife worth having needs to be sharp; the sharper the better I say. And God's Word truly meets that requirement. We are told in the book of Hebrews that God's Word is sharper than even a two-edged sword. The Sword of the Lord can cut through the stoniest of hearts and pierce us to the very core of our being.
Of course just like any other knife, if we do not use the Sword of the Lord we cannot benefit from its use. Far too often are our Bibles are left lying about to gather dust. How many rich blessings do we miss because we have not taken the time to let God's Word cut away our sinfulness. Christians often speak of wanting greater faith. We pray, "Lord, please give us more faith, help us to trust You more!" I am not knocking that sort of prayer, but God has already told us how to increase our trust and faith in Him. We are told in Romans 10:17 that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
In other words, if we want to see our faith and trust in God increase measurably then we must spend time reading the Bible. If we want sin to be "cut" away from our lives then we must allow the Sword of the Lord to point it out and the Holy Spirit to convict us of it. I believe it is then that we will see the results of our sinful character being replaced by Christ's divine character. Theologians call it sanctification, I simply call it becoming like Jesus.
Friends, won't you let the Spirit of the Living God cut you to the core through His Word? His blade is razor sharp and only trims away that which would keep us out of heaven. Trust in Him and trust in His Word. It is the only sure thing in this world.
Dear Father God,
Thank You for Your blessings and mercy to us and for Your holy Word that brings us closer to You. Please help us to stay in your Word, and please help us to surrender more fully to You each day. We long to see You face-to-face and we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
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