God’s Word is an integral part of our lives as Christians.  But what exactly does it do for us, and how does it do it?  Hebrews 4:12 explains this to us.
 
“For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”                                      
First of all, this verse states that the Word is quick, which means that it is living.  For the longest time, I didn’t understand what preachers meant when they said this.  I finally figured out that they meant that no matter the time in history or the situation any person might be facing, God’s Word has the answer.  When we pray and read our Bible, God will show us the course we need to take. 

The next adjective applied to the Word is powerful.  God’s Word has power in it; power to save and power to heal.   When we read the Bible and truly believe its’ promises, our lives will be changed.  Romans 10:17 states: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”  When we spend time reading God’s Word or listening to Word-based preaching, our faith grows, and when our faith grows, so does our belief in God’s power. 

God’s Word is also sharp.  It can pierce your soul, if you let it.  We are convicted of our sins by God’s Word.  We read of what displeases God, and the Holy Ghost helps us to see our sins.  The good news is that the same Word that cuts to the sin in our lives also gives us the remedy– repentance.  “For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of…”  II Corinthians 7:10.

Finally, our verse in Hebrews 4 states that the Word is the discerner of our thoughts and intents.  This is a biggie.  It is not enough just to do the right thing; one must do it with the right intentions.  God sees through our facades right into our very hearts.  When we read and apply the Bible not just to our actions, but also to our intentions, then we are truly pleasing to God. 

In summary, the Bible is a truly amazing book.  When we spend time with it, we grow in ways that we could not by ourselves.  I have heard it said that scripture is God-breathed, and I, for one, truly believe it.