"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”
Today, I want to examine some ways that we can apply this principle to our lives. Whenever we study God's Word it is very important not to simply leave it at head knowledge. We gained a lot of valuable information when we studied John 8:31. Now we want to apply it to our lives.
How can we do this? Although this is not comprehensive nor written by a trained professional, here are some ideas that you can incorporate into your life and watch to see how they work.
1. Prayer. If there is one thing that the Lord has been teaching me it is that I cannot do anything on my own. I'm a list person. I like having a process for everything. And abiding in God's Word (although there are some principles) cannot be reduced to a list. So although we may suggest ideas for how to abide in God's Word, what we really need is the Holy Spirit's help. Without Him, we can do nothing. I am always reminded of Jesus' command to His disciples to "watch and pray." They could do their part--the watching--but they must also pray that the Lord would do what only He could do. So when we approach this whole issue, we must begin (and end) in prayer.
2. Read God's Word. Study it. The more you are in God's Word, the better. What you spend the most time with is what you will be thinking about. The more we devour God's Word and immerse ourselves in it, the more we will be--in reality, in it.
3. Memorize and meditate on God's Word. We can only read His Word for so long. If you are anything like the normal human being, your free time is quiet limited. You just don't have two hours each day to spend reading God's Word. When we take the time to hide verses in our heart, we can pull them out for meditating on as we drive to work, take a walk in the park, or do the dishes. Whenever the mind is idle we can be meditating on God's Word. This will allow us to abide in God's Word throughout the day.
4. Listen to the Bible on audio. Many listen to music or sermons. Yet those were not commanded by Christ. Those are not identifying features of Jesus' disciples. Abiding in God's Word is. I say this just as much to myself as to others. Imagine what it would be like if you and I spent the time we are listening to music, or a sermon, or an audiobook; what if we used this time to listen to Scripture? I know I would have an hour or two each day devoted to listening to Scripture! Folding the laundry, doing the dishes, driving to and from--all are good times to listen to God's Word spoken and allow it to saturate our minds.
5. Talk about the Scriptures with others. Everyone! The more it is in your mind, your heart, your eyes, and your lips; the more you will be abiding in God's Word. Talk about what the Lord is teaching you through His Word. Ask what others are learning. Discuss with others the meaning of passages and how the Lord has used verses in your life. As you spend time talking about God's Word with others, you will find yourself more and more abiding in the Scriptures.
Remember once again that none of this is possible without the Holy Spirit's help. It must be Him. But with His assistance and guidance, we can abide continually in God's Word. It will take some time to develop the discipline, so give yourself some grace, but keep moving forward, further and further--deeper and deeper--into God's Word. And watch as the truth sets you free -- free-er than you ever thought possible.
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