Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is "living and active." It pierces our hearts and discerns our thoughts and intentions. Nothing will open our eyes to our needs and enable us to correct wrong thinking as will the Word of God itself. As Jeremiah says, God's Word is "like a hammer" that can break the hardest of hearts. Any power in a sermon or good spiritual book stems from God working first and foremost through his Word. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is inspired by God, not invented by human reasoning, and is useful for four key things: *Teaches us what is right *Rebukes us when we are wrong *Corrects us when we are heading down the wrong direction *Trains us to stay on the righteous path The question to be asked is, Do I believe that the Word of God along contains God's complete instructions to me and that it is sufficient to equip me fully for every action to which he has called me? No Christian book can claim to be the hammer that breaks the heart of stone. No wise counselor can claim the ability to judge the unspoken attitudes of our hearts. Only God's Word has this type of power, and we must avail ourselves of his revelation to us through his written Word.
Wendy Horger Alsup, "Practical Theology for Women"
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