Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

colossians 3:16, esv

Our hearts and minds are repositories. Experiences, both good and bad, make their home in us. A familiar aroma can take you back to a childhood memory. Even certain sounds can transport us to an experience that happened a decade ago.

Here Paul commands (yes, that’s a strong word) our hearts and minds to be emptied of some things and filled with God’s word. The phrase word of Christ has a dual meaning. First of all, it references the gospel. What is the gospel? We are so sinful Jesus had to die for us, so loved he was glad to die for us. When that reality dwells in you richly, you will remember on your best day that, apart from Jesus, your best day would not even be a reality–you wouldn’t have best days! And you will recall on your worst day, that Jesus’ worst day resulted in your best day.

We are so sinful Jesus had to die for us, so loved he was glad to die for us.

tim Keller

Second, the word of Christ dwells in us through the Bible, God’s revelation of himself to man. What a gift God’s Word is! We have his breathed-out words, inspired by the Spirit, to guide, correct, comfort and yes, even afflict us. Did you know that Psalm 119, the longest Psalm in all of Scripture with 150 verses, is all about God’s Word. Every single verse has a reference to God’s Word! It is there that we learn that…

  • keeping God’s word causes us not to be put to shame (vs. 6)
  • keeping God’s word helps young people stay pure (vs. 9)
  • memorizing God’s word helps us not to sin (vs. 11)
  • focusing on God’s Word keeps my eyes from worthless things (vs. 37)
  • focusing on God’s Word gives us an answer to one who taunts us (vs. 42)
  • …and there is so much more.

What is your practice of being in the Word? When? How often? Who do you need to keep you accountable for your daily time in the Word? Call them today! Don’t delay.