FIRE AND HAMMER
“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
-Jeremiah 23:29 English Standard Version
One of the first events in my life which drove me to be serious, I mean really serious, not only in reading and studying the Bible, but meditating on it, was the visit of a humble servant of God, a small town Pastor who would every now and then call on us and see how we are doing. He had since departed to be with the Lord Jesus Christ, and I miss his inspiring presence. A small frail man yet radiating strong, confident, unyielding faith and godly wisdom that he just lights up every dim shadow hanging over our hearts.
In one of his visits, he asked me to read Jeremiah 23:29. I have to confess that as a professing Christian I hardly read or was even familiar with the ramblings of this ancient Prophet who, the preachers say, often shed tears. So I read the Prophet: “Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.?”
Then he asked me to read from his Bible the same passage this time in Hiligaynon: “Ang akon pulong kaangay sang isa ka kalayo, kag kaangay sang isa ka maso nga nagapamuka sang mga igang”.
I was utterly awestruck. In my mother’s tongue the message left a sharper impression. God is speaking to me and telling me that His word is fire. His word is a hammer. I have heard hundreds of sermons in my church and sadly I could not remember any of the homilies telling me, look, stop, listen, God’s word burns, devours, consumes, razes, pounds, smashes and breaks everything that is sinful, wrong, evil, wicked, erroneous, deceptive, false and untruthful in this world. The fire of God’s Word burns within us consuming error, devours our pride. Like gold refined in the fire the dross is consumed. God’s word is like a hammer. God’s word hammers hard hearts. God’s word is able to judge the hardest of hearts and shatters man’s sin, rebellion and arrogance against God.
Then this dear humble Pastor spoke to me. He said to me whatever you are going through right now is a purifying process, you will come out fine. Bewildering. I haven’t said to him anything about what I was going through, though, I had my worries, doubts, problems, struggles, insecurities and difficulties.
This humble unassuming man of God was telling me fight your battles. Here’s God’s Word. Fire and Hammer. God’s Word. Discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
And so I started reading God’s Word with reverence and awe. I pray for wisdom that God the Holy Spirit will grant me illumination for God’s Word is not the mere word of man. It is able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
