Let God's Word Sink In

In Luke 9:44, Jesus instructed His disciples to let certain statements “sink into their ears.” Specifically, Jesus was discussing His suffering and death on the cross. People who listen poorly are often described as letting information go “in one ear and out the other.” Jesus wanted His followers to do the opposite: listen to what He said and let it live inside their heads for a long time. He wanted His words to sink in.

God has the same intention for all people, with everything written in the Scriptures. Psalm 1 discusses the idea, saying, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” The concept of meditation is what Jesus hoped would occur with His disciples. He wanted God’s Word to sit and live in their minds.

When Christians are thinking throughout the day, the Scriptures should be present. Their unchanging standard should serve as a compass, directing every word and deed. The Scriptures should live in every Christian mind, and you can tell if they are living in yours. When you find a quiet moment in the day, whatever lives in your mind wakes up for a little bit. If biblical questions and considerations are often present, then they are living in you. If Scriptures come to mind in answer to those questions, those Scriptures have settled in your mind, and that is what God hopes for. Even more than that, He hopes that you will live by His word so that it will do more than exist in theory. If His word is living in you, then take your next steps according to God’s direction through it.