My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV)
It is important to learn to savor God’s Word and let it redirect us, rearrange us, and interrupt us – shaking out what needs to go and replacing it with what needs to come - through His power indwelling within us. God is infinitely patient with us – teaching us incrementally – not moving forward until we grasp what He is working on in our hearts. He is always working on the inside until it is displayed on the outside of our lives, Amen? And we can be very slow learners.
We must constantly be paying attention to what we are reading in Scripture, all the while thinking “it is speaking to me” and “it is speaking about me” and “it is speaking for me”. God’s Word is to be a protection for us, a covering over our minds and our hearts as well as our ways and our wills. Paul writes his beloved Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15B that the Holy Scriptures are able to make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”. In Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) God states: 12 “For the word of God is living 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.”
When we run amuck according to our own desires and bents, we run wild – tripping over our selfish ambitions and vain conceits, our insecurities and weaknesses. This is actually bondage and gets us nowhere fast. God’s Word causes us to pause and ponder – it is not all about us (it has never been all about us) rather it is all about Him - His plans and His agenda and how they are what is ultimately for our freedom - always for our good and His glory. His desire is to do in and through us great and marvelous things that we are incapable of doing in and of ourselves. We need to be reminded – pretty much constantly - to get ourselves off the throne of our lives – we were never supposed to be there in the first place. Giving precedence to Scripture is the best way to start. God will never go against it. Indeed, there are only two things eternal on this earth – the souls of mankind, and the Word of God.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)