The requirement for God's word to enter our minds is that we have to be simple in God's hands. Drawing from Juan's reference yesterday to God's good and perfect gifts for us in James 1:17, I will share what it takes to ensure these good and perfect gifts from God have a successful landing in us. 

 

Some of the common good and perfect gifts we so much desire are contained in this quote by Pastor Chris, but let's also consider his slant to God's word in the quote - What God wants to give you in your life is not a healing, what God wants to give you in your life is not a job, what God wants to give you in your life is not money, what God wants to give you is the Word of God in your spirit. It will make you what it talks about.

 

While it is important to state here that the goodness and perfection in God's gifts are all wrapped up in His word, our focus today is to highlight the importance of the simplicity of our minds to allow God to attach His words to the fabrics of our minds. Psalms 119:129-130 says Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul keeps them. The entrance of Your words gives light and understanding to the simple. 

 

Some other scriptures to highlight the importance of simplicity for God to build capacity for His words and truths in us are:

 

James 4:6-8 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

 

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

 

David was an excellent example of a repertoire of God's word. His database of God's truth was solid for reasons not too far-fetched, which is simplicity or a "baby-like" attitude to providing the landing space for God's word into his mind. The book of Psalms primarily unfolds David's inner life. They communicate his heart to us. And so, if our goal is to uncover David's heart, to discover David's deep inner knowledge of God, then it is fitting that we explore his heart in the Psalms.

Psalms 1:1-3 read - Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. We do not want to be that tree whose leaves wither during the unfavourable season. So, our lives need to be planted in minds with enough water to draw from during the seasons of drought. Always remember that God's peace is not the absence of life challenges but the presence of God's river of truth contained in your mind to draw.

David had enough capacity for God's words to carry him through all his seasons of life. While under the threat of Goliath, he had a word - 1 Samuel 17:26, Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that defileth the army of God? After the sin of adultery, he had a word to restore his relationship with God - Psalms 51:10-13 - create in me a new heart, oh, Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. While in comfort or plenty, David had a word to keep surrendered to God - 2 Samuel 24:24: I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing. While in a position of might and revenge over King Saul in 1 Sam 24:6-7, he had a word to restrain him from revenge, Psalms 105:15-17 - touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm. David had all the seasons of his life covered by God's. No wonder he said, God's word is a lamp unto his feet and a light unto his path. He went further to summarise his life experience in Psalms 23: 1 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, which we can relate back to Psalms 1:3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

 

Some questions for us to reflect on about what has been shared. What does the database of God's truth in your mind look like? How is your storage space for God's truths just some bytes or you have allowed for megabyte storage and would want to migrate into the clouds to allow for some terabyte storage? 

 

James 1:21-25

'Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.