‘How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.’ Psalm 119:9
When a sponge is put into water, it soaks up the water and becomes full of it. That’s what we should be like with God’s Word. We need to spend time soaking in His Word, taking it in, and reflecting on it. Then we need to live our lives full of it. The Bible says: ‘How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.’ To obey God’s Word, we need to know it. And the only way we’ll do that is by getting stuck into the Bible. So what are the benefits of spending time soaking in God’s Word? Firstly, by knowing the truth we can recognise when the enemy is telling us lies. If we know what God says about our identity, then we’ll know when our thoughts are not lining up with His truth. Secondly, we can use the Scriptures we’re reading to fight against the enemy. When Jesus was tempted in the desert, He used God’s Word to fight back. For example, ‘Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’”’ (Luke 4:8 NIV). Thirdly, when we’re full of God’s Word, we can’t help but let it overflow to those around us. We can encourage others and build them up with truth (take a look at 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Finally, by soaking in God’s Word, we’ll be changed from the inside out. The Bible 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’ (Hebrews 4:12 NIV). The more we read the Bible, the more we can see the parts of our lives we need to change in order to become more like Jesus. Take 20 minutes of your day to soak in God’s Word.