Day 87, Year 1

God’s Word Can Shatter Great Rocks

“If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.” (Proverbs 29:9 NKJV)

“‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the LORD, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?'” (Jeremiah 23:29 NKJV)

The word “peace” in the first verse of today, nachath in Hebrew, also means “rest, quietness, or calmness.” In other words, the fools who contend with the wise find it difficult to rest or calm down. This reveals a problem of the fools—they like to contend with others. The word “contend” here, shaphat in Hebrew, also means “to enter into controversy.” Probably, they have a defiant attitude and are unwilling to accept wisdom. Besides, they might constantly seek stimulation, including contending with others, and thus their emotions often fluctuate between anger, laughter, etc., making their minds restless.

In the process of transforming from foolishness to wisdom, believers need to learn to be quiet and calm down from anger or laughter, etc. We should take a step back to reflect on what is pulling our emotions and understand the inner mechanism of our reactions, as well as the reasons behind our struggles. We could examine the external forces and inner beliefs that drive our feelings, then fundamentally change ourselves through God’s Word. Through this process of self-understanding in Christ, we could break away from our habitual folly.

The second verse of today explains why God’s Word can make fools wise. It is because God’s Word is full of power, like a fire that could burn away the impurities in our lives. Indeed, apart from the Lord Jesus, every human harbors impurities. When our stubbornness is sometimes akin to unyielding rocks, God’s Word is like a great hammer that can shatter rocks, for it cannot be smashed without His Word. We should not be shy or embarrassed to repeatedly reflect on the verses related to our problems and our inner issues, such that we can find God’s direction or purpose from His Word, then cleanse ourselves from impurities and crush our stubbornness by His methods or ways. To truly transform our lives, we need to let God’s words meet with our impurities or stubbornness, etc., and replace our internal problems with His Word, beliefs, and new mechanisms. On the contrary, some Bible readers tend to separate the words of the Bible from their own problems, treating them as if they are in different rooms within a house. This approach to reading the Bible could never resolve their life’s problems spiritually.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you find it easy to calm down and understand the reasons behind your various emotions? If not, are there any spiritual believers around you who could help you?

2) Are you willing to let your problems encounter the relevant God’s words, subsequently seeking His way out and replacing them with His beliefs and new mechanism?