Seek the Answer and Direction in God's Word
What revelation came to you as you implemented your SW by picking up your Bible, opening it, reading it, meditating on it, studying it, researching it, and then journaling or writing about the word “sword” as it related to Ezekiel 21:1-17?
First of all, I want to say that
revelation can come to you when implementing any one of these actions. As long as you are seeking the Truth, which is found
only in God’s Word, you will eventually
experience the surprise and excitement that comes from being in relationship
with The Divine as He gives you the answers and direction for your life.
Over the years, I have
learned what the “sword” means based on my own
reading, meditation, studying, research, and journaling,
as it relates to the Scriptures. Throughout
the Bible, the sword has literally been used as a weapon of war to armor one’s
self. And in Ezekiel
21:1-17, the sword also symbolizes God’s concerned
judgment for the people He loves. It
represents the careful decision that God must make as He considers the clutter
of Israel’s continual and deliberate disobedience. Sword = Armor
Sword = Judgment
The Book of Ezekiel is
found in The Old Testament, and compared to The New Testament, The Old
Testament can be very dry and hard to understand, but I assure you, if you read
just a little bit at a time, and do it daily, you will begin to grasp the
history, the teaching, and the marvel of what God wants you to learn through
his Holy Spirit. When you meditate on
God’s Word, study it, research it, and write
down your thoughts and feelings about it, you gain revelation, intimacy, and
the answers and direction that come from seeking
The Lord and His Word.
In my research and
study of God’s Word I consistently refer to:♥ The King James Study Bible
♥ The NIV Study Bible
♥ Different editions of The Life Recovery Bible
I love what we are told
about the sword in Hebrews 4:12, “For the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged
sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our most innermost thoughts and
desires.” (The Life Recovery Bible, 2004
edition)
Sword = God’s Word
Do you ever feel
like you are all alone and that there is no one fighting for you or coming to
your rescue? It’s important to know how
you feel and to express those emotions, but feelings are not to be your guiding
force. Remember how we have talked about
your feelings being secondary to what you think? Too often, our thinking is not based on Truth,
and therefore your feelings are not rooted in the Truth. Here is the Truth about feeling alone: you may feel you are alone but the Truth is -
you are never alone. From The Old
Testament to The New Testament, God constantly tells us that He is with us and
that He will never leave us or forsake us.
Google the words “I will never
leave you,” and you will see all the Scripture references that come up to
affirm this Truth. Jesus is your Savior,
and He is the only one who can take away your loneliness and rescue you. His desire is to constantly save you from the
death and darkness of sin in the life you are living right now and in the one
to come. Jesus is your personal Warrior. Jesus is your personal King. And Jesus always wants to go to battle for you
and aid you in cutting through the clutter of your everyday life. He wants to walk by your side, guide you, and
make Himself known to you. All you need
to do is to open the door and let Him in.
All of the 12 CHG’S are about lessening the clutter in your life so that
you can experience the healing and presence of God Almighty forever! Jesus holds the sword in His hand, and He
will not put it down until his work has been completed!
Sword = Salvation
The sword for me has
great personal symbolism. I think of my
pen as a sword. My pen symbolizes God’s Word at work in my hand. My pen is the sword I use to journal and write down God’s
Word. And I then use that pen,
that sword, to share and express my thoughts and feelings with God, just as He
has done for me, in the writing of the
Scriptures. What does this process of journaling/writing do to me regarding God’s Word?
♥ I witness the reality of God’s Word truly
giving me life and breath .
♥ I get to see how God’s Word works as a double edged sword to cut
through my soul and my spirit.
♥
I can feel God’s Word piercing and penetrating
the deepest cells of my body. And on a
very personal note, I have seen the positive results of how that gets
manifested in my own blood work ups.
♥
God’s Word helps me to humbly expose my most
innermost thoughts and desires. When I
look at all the men who were inspired by God to put a pen, a sword, in their
hand and write, as reflected in the 66 Books of
the Bible, I am so grateful for how their writing
provides me with the armor and protection that I need to face each day. Every day I need the sword of God’s Word to fight the enemy. And every day I need God’s
Word so that I can fight His way rather than my way.
Isn’t it an awesome
thought to ponder upon and to then realize that we truly are never alone? God is always warring for us; He is never
against us! Sword = Pen
Your SW this week is to reflect on a recent time when you felt alone. Put the pen (a sword) into your own hand and then journal or write down a thought and feeling that was connected to that moment. After doing this, Google the words: “I will never leave you.” Choose one of the Scripture references that you are drawn to and then write down the thought and feeling that it stirred up inside of you. How would you describe what you thought and felt about feeling alone compared to what you thought and felt after going to God’s Word? Caution: Do not judge your thoughts or feelings. Simply be honest with yourself about what you thought and felt.
