August 23

The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12.

Is there anything more powerful than the Word of God? When God said, "Let there be light," there was light. Heaven and earth were made by the word of God. And have we not been regenerated by the Word of God? Has it not made new creatures of us, whose hearts have been changed, and does it not continually perform miracles upon our souls, keeping us in the faith, enabling us to do the will of God, strengthening and comforting us in all afflictions? Behold, then, the great power of the Word of God!

The Holy Scriptures give us some remarkable instances of the effectiveness of preaching the Word of God. The most remarkable instance is the preaching of Peter at Pentecost. By this one sermon three thousand souls were converted to Christ. Many passages of the Holy Scriptures tell us that the preaching of the Word of God can produce such results at any time. Psalms 147:15: "His Word runneth very swiftly." Paul says, Romans 1:16: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."

A certain infidel doctor once said to a clergyman: "I am surprised that such an intelligent man as you are should believe in the Bible." The clergyman replied: "Twenty-five years ago I tried the power of God's grace. It made a different man of me. All these years I have preached salvation to others, and wherever

it has been accepted, I have never known it to fail. I have seen it make the proud man humble, the drunken man temperate, the profane man pure in speech, the dishonest true. The rich and the poor, the learned and the unlearned, the old and the young, have alike been healed of their diseases." This answer convinced the doctor of the divine origin and the truths of the Bible, and to-day he is himself a devoted believer. Such is the power of God's Word.

How thankful we ought to be for the inestimable gift of the Word of God!

Prayer.

Grant, O Lord God, that we may carefully keep Thy words, commands, and directions, storing them in our heart and binding them about our neck, also accepting Thy corrections. Rule us, we pray Thee, by Thy good Spirit that we may yield to the power of Thy holy Word. Finally receive us into Thy glory. Strengthen us through the power of Thy Word to say with Paul: "I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." Let Thy Word be our shield and weapon. Amen.

A trusty weapon is Thy Word, Thy Church's buckler, shield, and sword. Lord, let us by this Word abide That we may seek no other guide.

O grant that in Thy holy Word We here may live and die, dear Lord; And when our journey endeth here, Receive us into glory there.