Read Judges 3:12-30.

Use your weapon:

The sword was Ehud’s message. Your weapon won’t do you any good if you don’t use it. In lesson 4 we talked about the fact that in order to get the dirt out of our lives the LORD has given us a weapon; a concealed weapon to use, and that weapon is the Word of God. But if we don’t use our weapon than it won’t do you any good to have it. You can have the best weaponry ever invented but if it just sits there, and collects dust than you might as well not even have it in the first place.

Our weapon is the same way. God did not give us his word in our own language, and preserve it for us; just so that it can sit on the coffee table, or the bookshelf, and look good. Some will even carry it around, but if they don’t ever crack it open then it is not doing them any good.

Let’s look at Proverbs 3 and see what it says about God’s Word:

My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.(Proverbs 3:1-8)

According to this passage if we keep Gods Word in our heart then we will find favor with God, and who wouldn’t want that? Proverbs 2 says that God’s Word is more precious than all the money in the world.

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.(Proverbs 2:1-5)

Notice that the dirt didn’t come out for Ehud until after he used his weapon. Just having it there was not enough. Just having the intention of using it was not enough. Just knowing what he was supposed to do with it was not enough. He had to actually “use” his weapon, and the same holds true for us. If we don’t use our weapon then we will never get the dirt out of our lives.

In closing, I would like you to read Judges 3:20-22 again. Did you see it? Once the dagger went in it got stuck. If you will get God’s Word in your heart, and your life it will get stuck, and will not come out, and that is what gets “all” the “dirt out of your life”.