God's Word - A Surgeon's Knife

Today I'm thinking about how gracious God is to give us His Word.  Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) states, "For the Word of God is living 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."  The Bible is unlike any other book ever written.  It's living and dynamic--spiritual life is contained therein.  When I am prayerfully reading it, it "penetrates" and convicts me of the sinful, hidden places of my heart. 

God is even gracious in the use of His Word in my life in that He graciously uses His Word as a surgeon's knife.  A surgeon doing surgery is very specific to the area of disease or infection.  He or she does not hack the surrounding tissues unnecessarily causing additional damage.  No, the surgeon is specific and precise, addressing only the area of malignancy.  God, my gracious Heavenly Surgeon, uses His Word like a knife to carefully cut away the sinful malignancy in my heart--what He has brought to my attention that requires repentance.  He sees many other areas that need to be addressed but He carefully brings my slow and sin-ignorant heart along not exposing more than I can bear at the time.  God has all the time in the world to conform me to the image of His Son, Jesus but each day, He wants to lay my heart open with the surgeon's knife of His Word.--only then will I experience healing.