Today’s Reading : Proverbs 4: 20-22
KEY VERSE:
“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight, keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh ”
Pv 4:20-22
Growing up as a child of the 70’s, I was terrorised by prospect of childhood sickness. Being ill was bad enough, but what robbed my peace was the threat of supping the dreaded pink stuff, my Doctor called it antibiotic amoxicillin in paediatric liquid form, I called it, “liquid trauma”.
Nuclear pink in colour, and carrying the odour of death, liquid trauma made me feel instantly better, if only to avoid it slipping down the back of my throat.
The main problem that troubled me was that one spoonful of liquid trauma benefited its victim, in no way whatsoever. My Mum used to be gleeful in telling me “You have to take the whole course Son”.
Very often, the doctor prescribes medicine that only achieves its purpose if it is consumed daily, at regular intervals and is consumed in its entirety.
God’s word, is medicine for the soul. Solomon reminds us that it must be consumed daily, continually, with no particular end date. The words of God are “life to those who find them”, Solomon goes further and reminds us that actually, our broken flesh, so desperately in need of healing, requires soul medicine to make it well again.
Sadly, many contemporary followers of Jesus regard God’s word, the bible, as I regarded liquid trauma.
It doesn’t always go down easily, I don’t always feel like taking it, it sometimes tastes sweet like honey, but often it burns as it addresses my broken flesh and wars against the infection of human philosophies and worldly ideologies.
God’s word is a double edged sword, one edge tears down, the other builds up. God’s word is a spirit level to my slanted thinking, a plumb line to my bias reasoning and it discerns my unconscious thoughts and hidden motives of my heart.
Without the word of God, I am a sick product of this fallen world, only when I am attentive to the words of God, open eared to His voice and committed to fixing my eyes on His sayings will I truly find healing for my soul, my body and my mind.
As we commence this week of family bible study, let’s make sure we finish the course, measure out the word in daily, regular portions so that my being can be made whole.
There is an old adage that rings true to this day:
“Seven days without God’s word makes one weak”
ACTION STEPS
• Commit to daily bible reading
• Discus the reading more than once a day
• If you have children, test them on what they have heard to be sure it is buried in their hearts
• Send a scripture to a friend as an encouragement every day this week