Devotionals by Jill Briscoe

A sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. - Revelation 1:16

The word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are” (Hebrews 4:12).

When Jesus spoke, his words pierced John’s soul. The Word of God is like that. The Bible describes itself in many ways: honey, sweet to the taste; a hammer that breaks the rock; a light and a lamp to our path; a seed; and a treasure of gold. Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. There’s a battle to be fought. Sometimes we fight it with our lives, and other times we fight it with our words. When we speak up for Christ in a secular situation, we will find that the sword cuts to the quick.

Jesus’ message to the church at Pergamum was to “repent, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16). They needed to clean up their act and live like Christ.

Jesus has to use his sharp words on Christians sometimes. Once, when I was afraid of losing my reputation if I witnessed, the Lord used the sword of his mouth on me, reminding me that he “made himself nothing . . . and obediently humbled himself” (Philippians 2:7-8). That cured me! It was sharp, and it hurt, but it drove me to my knees and back to him for healing.

For Further Study: Revelation 1:12-20

Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.

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