The sword of the Spirit
Jo Penn
July 01, 2023
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Ephesians 6:17 (NRSVA)
17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ (Matthew 4:4)
Bose monastic community in North Italy sing through the 150 Psalms every two weeks, spread between their 4 daily services. Through this intentional repetition of the song book of the Bible, scripture is embedded within the spiritual life of each member of the community.
At Scargill House, where I live and work, we listen to psalms in our prayers throughout the week. Each time a psalm is read it will be a different verse or phrase that catches my attention, maybe reflecting my mood or concerns that day, or pointing towards trust and hope in God. This discipline of listening to the psalms has noticeably improved my knowledge of them.
In Matthew 4 we have the account of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness, and it is clear that Jesus values the power and clarity of Scripture to show the way to live in trust of our good God. Jesus quotes from the Old Testament three times to counteract each of the temptations that the Devil throws at him.
One of the Scargill pathway promises says this: ‘Jesus used scriptures to teach, illustrate, comfort and discipline. He must have studied them.’ My relationship with reading Scripture for myself does ebb and flow in its regularity, but I am glad to sit in Chapel each day and hear it read as part of public worship. I believe that it is needed spiritual food for me, and that the Holy Spirit will bring to mind the right scriptures at the right time to speak into whatever situation I face.
I wonder what has been your experience of the times that key Scripture phrases have come back to you to highlight a situation, give wisdom about a decision or counteract a temptation in your life?
PRAYER:
Holy Spirit,
Encourage me with words of Scripture today.
Equip me with words of Scripture to fight the lies and temptations of the Devil.
Write your wisdom anew on my heart today.
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