October 27, 2022
The Word is a Hammer
Does not my word burn like fire?” says the LORD. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29 NLT)
Precious one you may have never thought about God’s Word being a powerful hammer that will break up even the hardest of hearts, but that is exactly what it is. (Jeremiah 23:29) The Israelites hearts were hardened toward God. They made their hearts as hard as flint. In the Hebrew ‘flint’ means ‘rock.’ Flint is the hardest of all rocks and it is used to cut other rocks. Their hearts were as hard as flint which described the condition of their heart spiritually. Their mindsets were unmovable and unshakeable, their hearts were too hardened to receive God’s Word and obey His commands. (Zechariah 7:12) They angered God! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. (Hebrews 10:31) Why would anyone anger the One who brought you in this world and the One who can take you out? There was no fear of God!
But God! His word is a hammer able to break the unbreakable kind of rock, to shatter man’s stubborn, rebellious, ignorance against the Lord God Almighty! A hammer is a fit instrument to break rocks and beat stones into pieces. A hammer cannot do anything by itself, without the hand that uses it. However, the Word of God in the hand of the Holy Spirit is very useful to drive home and fasten:
1. The nails of conviction (Romans 2:4)
2. To drive home and fasten precepts (Deuteronomy 11:1)
3. To drive home and fasten promises. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
God is the Master of construction, He molds us and fastens the words of the wise as goads and nails. (Ecclesiastes 12:11) The Word of God is alive and active! “For the word of God is alive 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.” (Hebrews 4:12) R.C. Sproul said, ‘God’s hammer smashes not just the icons of the world around us; it also smashes the idols of my heart. It is hard, heavy, even painful, precisely because of the love of the One who wields it. He has promised to forgive me for my hard heart but has also promised to soften my heart.” He will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, He will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26) Take time to examine yourself. Repent of any hardheartedness, rebellion, or stubbornness. Have you ever been broken into pieces by the Hammer? Are your sins broken off from you? Do you have a soft heart?
Pray with me:
Father God, I repent of all my sins, rebellion and hardheartedness toward You and your Word. Forgive me and create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10) Reveal the hidden things of darkness in my heart that I am not even aware of and bring them to light so I can see and repent. (Daniel 2:22) Reveal the truth to me because the truth will set me free in Jesus all-powerful name. (John 8:31-32) Amen.
