There have been times I read the Scriptures, only to return later and find them feeling new, either because I saw them in a different light or had forgotten them altogether. We might dismiss this as natural, reasoning that no one can possibly store the entire Bible in their mind.
But what if that’s not the case?
What if the worries of life, the burdens of circumstances, the weight of responsibilities, and the noise of daily struggles have snatched the Word of God from our hearts? If this weren’t possible, Jesus would not have warned that the seed of God’s Word can be choked by the cares of this world, preventing it from taking deep root and bearing fruit.
Indeed, while you slept, while you fainted, while you worried, the enemy came and God’s Word was stolen.
Read in Volumes, Store Abundantly
A single chapter can be easily taken from your heart, but when you store up much, 50 chapters or even the entire Bible, it becomes far more difficult for the enemy to steal.
You cannot afford to read the Bible like just any other book or visit it only occasionally. How can you read just one chapter and expect to withstand the relentless assault on your heart, the cares of life, the troubles, the noise, the endless needs, and the many things that weigh a person down? No sooner have you read it than the enemy comes, stealing it away or choking it out before it takes root.
The only way to withstand these assaults is to store up God’s Word in abundance, to take in much and hide it deep within your heart.
It is like eating just two spoonfuls of rice and expecting to be full, or hoping it will sustain you for days. Just as your body needs full nourishing meals complete with sufficient protein for energy, your spirit requires a generous intake of God’s Word to thrive. Likewise, you do not plant a single seed and expect a flourishing tree. You scatter many seeds, covering the soil generously.
Unless the Holy Spirit specifically prompts you to focus on a single chapter or verse, in which case you are called to dwell deeply on it, reading and meditating on it as many times as you would read 50 chapters, you cannot afford to settle for surface level engagement.
How can you truly meditate on the Word or extract its life giving essence if you skim through it once, just to check it off your spiritual to do list? It takes intentionality, repetition, and reflection to milk the richness of the Scriptures and let it take root in your heart.
One Worry and You Are Battery Low
All it takes is one worry, one care, one loss, one delayed answer to prayer, or one distraction to snatch away the little you have sown in your heart. The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, not just your joy or your prized possessions. He aims for your most valuable treasure, God’s Word planted in your heart, the gift of inestimable worth.
And when he comes, he does not appear as the devil you would expect. Instead, he disguises himself in the wrapping of tests, trials, griefs, and even your long unanswered prayers, using the very things that seem to demand your focus to pull you away from the truth.
David declared, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11), securing it far beyond the enemy’s reach. But without intentional seeking, there is nothing to hide, no foundation to guard, and no defense against sin.
If the Bible Were the Only Book You Ever Read
I believe that if the Bible were the only book in existence, the only one you ever read in your lifetime, you would still be better equipped for life than if you had access to countless other books, even those you consider essential for growth and progress. No wisdom or insight gleaned from books written by men can ever rival the depth and richness of the Scriptures, a book so profound, so detailed, and so all encompassing that it addresses every problem, vision, or idea known to man.
However, like gold and silver, its treasures must be diligently and sacrificially searched out each day. If the Bible were to be fully expanded, the entire world would not have enough space to contain all the books that could be written from it.
Even a single chapter can leave you captivated by endless layers of revelation. In fact, the explanation of just one verse never truly ends, it only stops where the person studying it reaches the limit of their understanding. The depth is immeasurable.
Each time another person examines the same verse, fresh perspectives and dimensions emerge. It is the same Holy Spirit who illuminates the Scripture, bringing unified truths that align perfectly with the Father’s intent.
So much to uncover, so much to learn, it is an eternal wellspring of wisdom.
Don’t sleep on it. Cover the soil of your heart generously, making it difficult for the enemy to sow tares. Wake up. Pull out the weeds. Plant more seeds. Let them take root, grow, and thrive.
