“Take heed, how you hear the Word” The Lord Jesus was not speaking to the unconverted masses, when He gave this sobering warning. He had already judged them, by shutting their ears, through the teaching of parables. Luke 8:10 tells us that “The Lord Jesus had begun to teach in parables, so that, seeing they may see and not perceive; and hearing, they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn and their sins be forgiven.” So we see that when the Lord Jesus says, “Take heed how you hear the Word”, that He is speaking to his inner circle of disciples (and to every true disciple of Jesus)! The Lord is saying to “them and to us”, that the Word of God will not effectively work in your life, unless you receive it with the proper attitude of a humble submission of the mind and will! Don’t listen or read the Word superficially! Don’t read or listen to the Word with a “self-centered attitude! But read or listen with a humble and submissive mind and will! When I travel to foreign countries (as I have on over 140 occasions) and I open my suitcase, I am always reminded of the precious love of my wife Dianne! She places little notes of loving encouragement within in my shirts and pants. As I begin to unpack and find one of them, I read that letter over and over again. I know that there are other notes in other pants and shirts. And I know that I am supposed to wait until the next day to read the next one. But I have such an anticipation and excitement, that I find myself digging through the others clothes before the proper time! And why? Because I have an insatiable appetite to receive those other notes of prayers, love and encouragement! This is the manner in which we are to receive the Word of God! You are to hunger after the word, as if you are a soldier on a battle field, far away from home; and you have just received a “love letter” from your wife. You can be certain that this young man reads that letter thoroughly and repeatedly. He reads the whole letter, in terms of the parts; then he reads the parts, in terms of the whole! He cherishes every phrase; and he contemplates on every sentence. He chews on that letter, like a dog would chew on his favorite bone! Brothers and sisters, this is how “we must take heed to the Word of God”! And dear friends, this is how the Word of God renovates the mind of an authentic disciple. And this is how the Word of God transforms the character of a genuine follower of Jesus, into ascending levels of “Christ-likeness”!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 00:26:06 +0000
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