Read Jeremiah 23:23–32
“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” — Jeremiah 23:29
The prophet Jeremiah lived during tumultuous times for the nation of Judah. He started his career as a prophet during the reign of King Josiah, the last faithful king, and he continued to prophesy during the final years before Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the people were brought as captives into Babylon.
Throughout Jeremiah’s ministry, he proclaimed the bitter message that judgment was coming, calling the people to turn from their evil and idolatrous ways and to turn back to the pure worship of the one true God. But the people didn’t listen to Jeremiah. Instead, they chose to listen to false prophets, men who spoke attractive messages that reflected what the people wanted to hear rather than declaring the word of the Lord.
Contrary to these futile and hollow words spoken by the prophets, God’s Word is a hammer, capable of breaking the hardest rock to pieces. When you see the word “hammer,” you may think of a carpenter’s hammer that’s used in most projects around the house to drive nails into an object. But in this context, it’s better to think of a blacksmith’s hammer used to forge and shape metal and, when wielded with great force, can crush and shatter an object.
As we walk with Jesus, it’s possible for our hearts to become hardened. This can happen through a secret sin that goes unconfessed, bitterness that comes from unforgiveness, or the cynicism that creeps into our hearts when a prayer goes unanswered. During these times, we may find ourselves endlessly scrolling on social media, reading negative news online, and binge-watching television more than abiding in God’s Word.
But when we open up the Word of God, we experience the weight of his hammer, able to crush and shatter the sin, bitterness, and cynicism of a hardened heart as we respond in humility and repentance.
Reflect:
1. How have you experienced God’s Word softening your heart? Thank him for his power to change your heart.
2. Are there particular moments or hardships that have caused you to follow “false prophets” rather than turning to God’s Word?
Pray:
“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” — Jeremiah 23:29
God, you know my heart better than anyone, and you have loved me even when I have drifted from your ways. Show me how I have drifted and place me back on solid ground. I repent for when I have placed my trust in the things of this world instead of in your Word. Your Word has the power to turn a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. I open myself up for you to mold my life. God, as you soften my heart, empower me to bring your Word to those around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
GOD’S WORD SOFTENS OUR HEART.
Day 4
The Word Is a Hammer
Jeremiah 23:23–32, Acts 2:37–38
Why Abide?
Every Nation has always placed a high premium on the power, truthfulness, and benefit of Scripture. God reveals himself to us through his Word, by which he transforms and empowers us. In 2022, we’re calling everyone to a renewed commitment to read, understand, believe, and obey God’s Word. Thus, our 2022 consecration devotional material will focus on metaphors that refer to the Word.
Introduction
Deuteronomy 8, Matthew 4:3–4, Luke 4:1–4, John 4:34
Read Deuteronomy 8:1–20 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” — Deuteronomy 8:3 Bread was central to the diet of the ancient Near East. Even today, many cultures have a bread that is unique and prevalent to their diets. There is the crunchy baguette in France, the unleavened roti in India, the spongy injera in Ethiopia, the thin tortilla in Mexico, and the soft pandesal in the Philippines. But in Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses declares that man doesn’t live by bread alone. While the Israelites were in the wilderness, God provided for them by raining down manna, a bread-like food, from heaven. Now, as they prepare to enter the Promised Land, a land of plenty, Moses takes time to remind the people who fed them in the wilderness. And even though they will no longer need bread to rain down from heaven in the new place they are going, their dependence on God remains the same. It is in trusting and obeying God’s Word that they will live and thrive in the land. They need his Word like they need bread to survive. In the same way, our dependence on God’s Word should be like our reliance on bread. Each day of this fast, our bodies will crave more and more the nourishment that bread provides. But it is this craving, this almost all-consuming awareness of our need for food, that this metaphor of God’s Word as bread becomes all the more relevant to us. Just as our bodies crave bread, we should crave God’s Word, living in constant awareness of our need for him and his words every day. In fact, we learn in John’s gospel that Jesus himself is the very Word of God. He calls himself the “bread of life,” promising that whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst. When we come before him and fill ourselves with God’s Word, we can receive his salvation and be truly fulfilled. God’s Word is true. God’s Word is powerful. And it is through God’s Word that he reveals himself to us, and we are transformed and empowered to live for him. As we go into a week of prayer and fasting and our hunger for bread grows day by day, may our appetite for God’s Word grow even more. Reflect: 1. Think of a situation when you had to depend on God. Give him thanks for sustaining you through it. 2. What verse or passage has kept you encouraged this past year? Take time to praise God for his Word being trustworthy and powerful in your life. Pray: “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” — Deuteronomy 8:3 God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Through your Word, you speak to me and remind me that you are for me. You show your everlasting character, and I learn to hear your voice as I read and meditate on scripture. Lord, help me build a daily desire to abide in your Word, a desire that would grow throughout my walk with you. Your Word nourishes my spirit and fulfills my heart. As I pray, fast, and consecrate myself to you this week, may my understanding and love for you grow as I draw nearer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen. GOD’S WORD SUSTAINS US.
Day 1
1 Peter 1:13–25, Mark 4:3–9, Mark 4:13–20
Read 1 Peter 1:13–25 “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God . . .” — 1 Peter 1:23 In this verse, Peter tells us that it is through the imperishable seed of the Word of God that we have been born again. What does he mean by this? In God’s Word, we find the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ to save us. And it is through the good news found in God’s Word that one is born again. But God doesn’t just uncover his plan of salvation through his Word. He reveals his very self to us. That’s why Peter calls it the living and abiding Word. Peter compares the Word of God to an imperishable seed. What’s interesting about a seed is that it’s dry and dull with little evidence of life before you plant it. But once it’s in the proper condition, planted in damp and nutrient-rich soil, life bursts forth from it as we eagerly wait above the surface for those signs of life to appear. Just like a seed needs to be planted in the proper condition for life to spring forth, God’s Word is waiting to be planted in the good soil of a believing heart. And then, by the Holy Spirit, his Word will germinate, take root, and grow, bringing life and beauty to whatever it touches. When we open up the living and abiding Word of God, we encounter the God of the universe, the one who created all things and is making all things new. And when we meet him, our lives can’t help but be transformed. There may be areas of your life that have felt dry. Maybe your love for the lost has waned, or your passion for God’s mission has been quenched. God’s living and abiding Word will never lose its power to touch every dull, dry, and dead area of your life, causing it to burst forth with new life that is lasting and eternal. And as his Word touches and transforms our lives, we can’t help but sow this imperishable seed, sharing the good news of what Jesus has done to save us, wherever we go. Reflect: 1. Think about when you first heard the gospel. Did someone share it with you? Reflect on that moment, thanking God for his salvation. 2. Since the Word is living and abiding, what are some areas of your life it can renew this week? Pray: “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God . . .” — 1 Peter 1:23 God, I believe that your Word is an imperishable seed that can renew every area of my life. I can bring my brokenness, confusion, and insecurities before you, knowing that you make me whole, confident, and secure through the seed of your Word. You have brought me from death to life and are faithful to finish the good work you began in me. Lord, I pray that you will continue to change my life to reflect your love to others around me. Because of your Word that you’ve planted in me, I can be bold to share your gospel wherever I go. Amen. GOD’S WORD MAKES ALL THINGS NEW.