Jeremiah 23:28-29 For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
The word of God is like:
Grain – grain has weight unlike straw which is blown away by the wind and is easily burnt (Psalm 1 says that the wicked are like chaff that is blown away). The word of God gives weight to the soul and enables one to stand firm. Like grain, the word of God also gives life to those who ‘eat’ of it.
Hammer – It breaks and destroys; it also moulds and transforms - like a sculptor who chisels and hammers away, gradually moulding and shaping a thing of beauty.
Fire – It burns away impurities and purifies. Fire also allows for new life. A forest fire may devastate many trees but it makes space and provides nutrients for new trees to grow.
These are powerful reflections. What I love about the ‘grain’ metaphor is the sense of nourishment. When I feel empty, it is a gift to receive God’s food to fill my soul and strengthen my life.
When I read scripture I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. I recognize myself as the one with a plank in my eye when seeing the speck in someone else’s eye. I feel encouraged and determined to “do” better. Of course I fail. Only by praying for God’s strength and by recognizing the deviousness of the evil one that challenges me. can I draw closer to God and be armoured up to be stronger.
I love the framing of the hammer as both one that breaks away and destroys the things that ought to be discarded and carefully shapes what remains. It reminded me that He is the Potter who molds and shapes me. When I feel the loss of parts of me being carved away, I get to trust that it is part of the process of being shaped more like Christ.
Yes indeed, when we read the word of God, we allow the Holy Spirit to read us, to burn away our impurities and mould us into the image of Christ. It is powerful and can change us if we will allow ourselves to be exposed to its power on a daily basis.