“Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” Colossians 3:16a
I once read a story about a seminary professor who was studying in the Holy Land and met a man who claimed to have memorized the entire Old Testament in Hebrew. Knowing that would be quite a feat, the professor asked the man if he could give a demonstration. The man agreed, and the two met at the man’s home.
The professor took out his Hebrew Old Testament and the man asked, “Where shall we begin?” The professor loved the Psalms, so he suggested “Psalm 1.” And beginning with Psalm 1, the man began to recite from memory while the professor followed along. For two hours, the man continued without a single mistake. Needless to say, the professor sat very impressed.
Well, when the demonstration was over, the professor discovered something about the man that shocked him. He wasn’t a Jew nor a Christian and in fact was an atheist. He knew the Scriptures better than many Jews and most Christians and yet they had done nothing to change his life. The reason why? He simply didn’t believe them.
What a tragedy…to know the most precious truth in the world so thoroughly and not allow it to touch you. But I wonder if that tragedy hits closer to home than we want to admit? How many of us listen week after week as teacher after teacher shares from the Word of God and yet fail to allow it to change our lives? You see, it really isn’t enough just to be present and hear…we need to hear with the intent to allow it to change us.
In Jonah 3 we read that the king of Nineveh heard the message of God that Jonah preached. It so impacted his life that he led the citizens of that city to repent and turn from their sin. And that impact changed God’s mind about their impending doom. Remember it isn’t enough to hear…we need to hear with the intent to apply and change. Paul said it this way, “Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” That simply means we don’t need to allow the Word of God to pay our lives a visit…we need to allow it to move in. I know sometimes truth can make us just a little uncomfortable but don’t worry. The God who wrote it and gave it to us is the God who wants us to know, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 