Fast Day 15: Bible Poverty: The Word That Transforms Us

By Courtney Lo

“For 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.”  -Hebrews 4:12 ESV

In Spring 2021, Soccer in the Park held their first season of outreach kick-around for the youth of Clark County. It was a time where parents and children alike were desperate for connection and community. A local family that heard about what we were doing started showing up weekly for their kids to play soccer. Hungry for normalcy and connection, they would listen politely to us share about God’s Word but respectfully let us know Christianity wasn’t for them. We were delighted they would participate each week and grateful for whatever opportunities the Lord was allowing us to share. One day, I asked if they would like a Bible and to my surprise, they accepted my offer. I was so encouraged! Soon after I gave them the Bible, they stopped coming and we eventually lost contact. I was unaware at the time, but their family had to move, no longer had the ability to come and were in a very difficult season of life. A year later, the Lord graciously allowed me to see the mom again. She was different--at peace, her heart seemed content and her mind at rest. 

She shared this with me, “...after our move, I started reading the Bible that I got from Soccer in the Park, it was the only book that was available to me, all other books were in boxes. I felt like I should so I did, I read the whole book, the whole Bible. I realized I am a Christian, I believe wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ and I feel His presence in my life!”   

Many of us approach Scripture for information, guidance for decisions, comfort in trials, or wisdom for life. Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that God’s Word does far more than inform us; it transforms us. God’s Word is alive! The image of a double-edged sword speaks to the precision of God’s Word. It cuts away at what doesn’t belong so that genuine faith can grow. It meets us where we truly are, not where we pretend to be. It reaches beneath our habits and even our good intentions, exposing the deeper motivations of our hearts. This can feel unsettling, because transformation provokes change. However, change that begins in Truth is not condemning, it is redemptive.

Transformation doesn’t only take place in corporate gatherings and prayer meetings, it happens when we simply read the Bible. When we sit under God’s Word with humility, trusting He will refine us. Renewing our minds, softening our hearts, and shaping us into the likeness of Christ. The question is not whether God’s Word has power. It does. The question is whether we will place ourselves under its authority and allow it to do its work in us.

Questions to Ponder:

• Are there areas of your life where you are listening to God’s Word but resisting its authority? What might surrender look like there?

• How have you allowed Bible poverty to take precedence in your own heart with distractions, habits or assumptions that might be dulling your sensitivity to God’s Word ?

• In what ways can you intentionally place yourself under the transforming power of Scripture: daily, weekly, and in community?