For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

This weekend I was helping my oldest son work on a couple of projects around his home. At one point, we needed a precise-sized wrench to tighten the nut on a water line. He made do with an adjustable wrench and only then did I find the tool he needed.

God’s word is just the right tool in every circumstance. The writer of Hebrews describes the word of God as a precision tool that applies to every aspect of our lives. Here are three things to keep in mind from this brief passage.

• The word of God is living. This is not some irrelevant collection of writings from antiquity. These words apply directly to our lives today.
• The word of God is active. For those who will hear and see and will soften their hearts, the word of God will transform our lives from the inside out.
• The word of God is sharp. I think of a surgeon’s scalpel. As a physician uses the surgical tool with expertise, God’s word here is seen as able to pierce to divide the soul and spirit as joints and marrow.

This same word of God that discerns “the thoughts and the intention of the (my) heart” can also serve to align my mind and life with His.

When was the last time you read or heard God’s word that caused you to rethink how you are living?