Deeper
Proverbs 4:20-21, "My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart" (NLT).
When we read God's Word how deep do we allow it to settle into our spirit? I'd be lying if I said I've never glossed over a particularly convicting passage of Scripture or avoided it entirely.
But if I do that I'm only sabotaging myself. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (NIV).
Joshua 1:8 says, "Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do" (NLT).
Jeremiah 15:16 says, "When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven's Armies" (NLT).
God wrote down His Word for our benefit; to draw our hearts closer to His. Sometimes it convicts, sometimes it comforts. But it always transforms (Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit is our teacher; the Scriptures are our curriculum, and as we surrender ourselves to the true context of the words and immerse ourselves in God's truth and study it in it's entire counsel it becomes our delight. It brings us great joy.
I cannot grow into spiritual maturity apart from the Word of God. To resist it is to sabotage myself. If I'm not allowing God's Word to sink deep into my heart then I'm leaving my heart wide open to all manner of attack by the enemy, not to mention the wiles of my own sin nature. Proverbs 4:20 says, "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life" (NLT).
Am I resisting what God is trying to speak to my heart? Is there a reason I'm not letting it sink in any deeper? What am I afraid of? What am I hiding? Only in surrendering to God by receiving the Words He has for me will I find peace, joy, transformation, and the satisfaction I crave.
Hebrews 3:15, "Remember what it says: 'Today when you hear His voice, don't harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled" (NLT).