I recently had one of those “why did I wait so long to do this” moments. After sawing away with my dull kitchen knives, I eventually took them to a local hardware store to get them professionally sharpened. The difference is remarkable! Now I can easily slice through a tomato just like on those old Ginsu knife commercials . (I haven’t tried out the knives on a tin can. Seems a bit excessive.)   There’s an axiom amongst chefs that may seem counterintuitive at first, but I can attest to its accuracy. They say that a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one. This is due to the increased chance of slipping and cutting yourself with a knife which requires more force as you saw back and forth to get the job done. A sharp knife will slide right through whatever needs slicing or dicing, leaving your fingers free from cuts.   As I was chopping up ingredients to make salsa with my newly sharpened knives, I thought about Hebrews 4:12. It says “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”   God’s word operates similarly to my kitchen knives in this way. What I’m able to read in the Bible—the stories, the commands, the teachings—often cuts me, and I’m laid bare by the gross complicity of my sin. But God doesn’t bludgeon me with a dull sword. He uses surgical precision to cut away the diseased parts to promote healing. He even goes so far as to attack the hidden things that no one else sees. Like we read in the next verse, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered.”   This kind of surgery isn’t meant to frighten us. Instead, it’s a testament to God’s love. One of my favorite Timothy Keller quotes is “The gospel says you are simultaneously more sinful and flawed than you ever dared believe, yet more loved and accepted than you ever dared hope.” God sees that nasty, infected part, and He is willing to remove it. All while loving us more than we could ever imagine.   For this type of heart surgery to be most effective, I need a pliable spirit. I need a soft heart. Ezekiel 11:19 says, “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” With my knives at their very sharpest, they would still have a hard time slicing up rocks. Sure, God is able to do that kind of miraculous cutting, but if I can approach his throne with humility, acknowledging my need for his mercy and grace, I can make this process less painful for myself.   Thank you, Lord, for your Word—alive and active—which is unlike any other book!