The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
I find much to read these days -- exciting novels, heartwarming love stories, educational nonfiction, newspapers, and magazines. We can be entertained and informed in high fashion. Nonetheless, as powerful as these forms of the written word can be, the Bible has one quality that no other book has ever had: It's alive! Have you noticed that you can read the same familiar passage of scripture again and again and yet learn something new and fresh from it each time? Or we may be reading scripture and suddenly a truth jumps out at us that applies clearly to some issue we're facing. That is what Hebrews 4:12 is talking about when it says that the word of God is "living and active."
The Bible is a beautiful gift from God, but only if we read it. If we don't set aside time to read the Bible, we neglect an opportunity for God to speak to us -- to teach us, guide us, comfort us. When we read the Bible, we grow closer and closer to God.
