S80P31 – Growth spurts: retention
Psa. 119:9-13
How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
He certainly was taking a risk by entering enemy territory, but he had been prepared for this work. From his manner of behavior to his manner of speech, there were specific instructions he had to follow so that he would not be lured and tricked by the enemy. He did not want to give anything away as this was to be a clandestine assignment, but a terrible thing happened when he arrived in that place. Although he had been taught what he needed to know to survive this mission, he had failed to truly put it to remembrance. The strategies he needed to employ to ensure his survival had been forgotten or confused. Without those precious and necessary instructions, he would meet his end.
The word of God brings life in that it is necessary for our survival in a world controlled by the enemy. His goal is death, and his means of getting us there is tempting us to sin against the Lord. He wants us to forget what we have been taught, to hold on to the word of God for only a moment and then let it fall by the wayside. Doing so will make us unprepared for his attacks. God, on the other hand, wants to write his words on our hearts. His Holy Spirit reminds us of the words his Son spoke while here on Earth, and that same Spirit also keeps the holy scriptures fresh in our minds for access during battle. As we continue on our Christian walk, the words of God should take root in our hearts and minds so that we will be prepared to utilize them effectively when we need to do so.
God’s word tells us how to live, how to fight, and how to survive. Whether we must remind ourselves of his love and trustworthiness, or whether we must remind the enemy that he has no power over us, it is important for us to be able to bring the word of God to mind when we need it. This can happen only if we make ourselves a regular repository for that word, committing the scriptures to memory and letting God’s precepts take root inside us. We likely all have had moments when we wanted to pull a verse out of thin air and simply could not recall the words. Let us work at having fewer of those moments and more moments when we are able to speak and apply the word of God in power and effectiveness. Father, help us to write more and more of your word on our hearts and in our minds, that we would have access to its holy power when we need it.