God’s word is living and active. It is sharper than any two-edged sword and cuts as deep as the place where soul and spirit meet, the place where joints and marrow meet. God’s word judges a person’s thoughts and intentions.
Hebrews 4:12–13
Depending on what you need, the Word of God can hurt or heal. The healing is obvious. When you are aching, fearful, or lonely and you read about his faithfulness and love and you are comforted, that’s obvious, a no-brainer. But when it’s time for a revelation in your life, when the old you is still lurking around and the new you needs to come out, the Word can hurt. Its job is to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and no other pain is so deep.
The beauty of the sting of God’s Word is that it makes you desperate for God’s help. Nothing else seems important and you’re finally willing to let go of the old you. Through this pain truth sinks into your gut, moves deeper into you, and changes you.
If God’s Word isn’t “asking too much of you” or breaking your heart, then you’re not letting God reveal himself to you fully. Don’t run from the pain of revelation; revel in it. Only when you’re cut open and uncovered, laid bare before him, will you know without a doubt that you have been touched by the Word of God. So don’t be afraid of what he’ll ask of you, but look for it with hope and excitement, knowing that out of this painful process will come the glory of your soul.