The best thing that could happen for you this year is that your love for the Lord would grow. To have a “whole-souled” love for God. It is the best thing that could happen for you, your marriage, your family. Last week: God’s word itself is good Perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, enduring, true & righteous, desired, sweet God’s word has a good influence on us Gives us life, wisdom, joy, & light

Today: last week’s last point: God’s word illuminates. It “turns on the lights.” • It instructs us • It reveals our thoughts and desires • It exposes the deceitfulness of sin

God’s word instructs The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (Ps 119:130) When God's word enters the heart of a person, it gives light and understanding.

It teaches us the right way to live. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. (Ps 119:9) I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Ps 119:11)

It teaches us what to value in life. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (Ps 119:18) Turn my eye from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. (Ps 119:37)

God’s word reveals our thoughts and desires. 12For 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. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13)

V 12. “living” When a prophet spoke in God’s name, something happed. God’s speech was itself an event.

God’s word is effective, “active” with power to accomplish whatever God intends. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11)

“It is sharper than a sword,” penetrating, cutting. It “divides soul and spirit and joints & marrow.” Nothing can be hidden from the revealing nature of God’s word. Our soul and spirit and revealed by God’s word.

God’s word judges – or “discerns” or determines what is good or bad about – our thoughts and intentions; between what we think and what we want.

v. 13. The subject changes to God himself. Nothing and everything: “Nothing (no creature) can be hidden God.” “Everything is exposed to him.”

We are exposed, lit. uncovered, to his eyes. The one to whom we must give an account sees all of us, nothing is hidden. He knows it all and judges and what is good and what is bad.

God’s word exposes the deceitfulness of sin God’s promises and the warnings of his judgment are sharp enough and living enough and active enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and show me that the lies of sin are indeed lies.

Abortion will not create a wonderful future for me. Neither will cheating, or dressing provocatively, or throwing away my sexual purity, or keeping quiet about dishonesty at work, or divorce, or vengeance. And what rescues me from this deception is the word of God.

The promise of the word of God is like throwing open a great window of bright morning sunlight on the roaches of sin masquerading as satisfying pleasures in our hearts. God has given you his good news, his promises, his word to protect you from the deep deceptions of sin that try to harden your heart and lure it away from God and lead it to destruction.

Because the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, it will penetrate deeper than any deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly valuable and what is truly worth trusting and loving. – John Piper