Have you breathed today?

Something we talked about Friday night has just stayed with me, so I'm going to share it again for those that weren't there with us. The main focus was on James 1:21 which says that we are to "humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save our souls".

As quotable and as many "famous" verses as there are in James, if we don't embrace and get a revelation on this simple verse, those powerful verses will not have their full impact in our lives. James is trying to emphasize the importance of the place of the Word in our lives. He goes as far as to say it has the power to save our souls. Which means he equates the Word with the Spirit of God Himself. If we don't hear the Word, we can't know God. It's the Word on the inside of us that's been implanted in our hearts that gives us the desire to want more Word and know God more. If we have no hunger for Him, we have become full with the things of this world and have lost sight of our NEED for His Word. When we don't desire the Word, we don't read it and do the things we know we should. What to do with this vicious cycle??? We break it! When we know that the power of the Word in our lives is life to us, then we rise above our emotions and how we feel and do it anyway. The external Word will stir up that implanted Word in your heart that's been neglected or crowded out by the things of this life. This will give life and bring back the desire.

It's like oxygen. It gives life and in giving life it makes you breathe. In breathing you receive more oxygen, and the cycle repeats itself. We don't say oh I have oxygen. It has made me alive, and look how well it's working in me! I don't to receive any more oxygen. Just because the Word is in our hearts doesn't mean that we don't need to keep on receiving it. We die without both working together.

God has been convicting me about this lately and challenging the place the Word has in my life. I haven't necessarily filled my heart with bad things, but if I'm not careful it still gets filled- even with good things. I desire God's Word, but can I say I've been desperate for it like it's oxygen and I can't make it without it? Not all of the time. But if I believe what the Word says, I will know that I will be in serious trouble without it. And if I have that mentality, even if I'm not feeling it, I will get to that place. And it will have the power to save my soul. From fear, from despair, from anger, from strife, from busyness, from myself. And when I receive it humbly, or with meekness, that means I am ready to submit to it right now. And take it literally.

So, have you breathed today? Take in that oxygen and allow it to breathe life into your spirit.