Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. Psalm 119:9
Talk to any random dentist, and they will stress to you the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day. For me, as one of ten children growing up in the same household, regular visits to the dentist was something that fell quite far down the list of priorities that my parents were able to spend money on for each of us. As a result, oral hygiene was not emphasized in our home. Most assuredly, my parents preached to us the importance of brushing our teeth, but let’s just say that is one of the things that I let slide down my own list of things I considered important. I was not going to see a dentist anytime soon, so there was no day of reckoning that I had to fear. I knew a dentist was not going to be checking my teeth and giving me the lecture about brushing and flossing. Life was good. That is, until the day of reckoning finally did come. I started to experience some severe tooth pain in my back teeth. Over and over and over. Since then, I have had some extensive work done on my back teeth. Needless to say, I now brush and floss regularly and my teeth are in excellent health.
Sadly, I think many Christians treat the Word of God in the same way that I treated my teeth. They fail to see the importance of spending regular time daily in the Bible. The “day of reckoning” when we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ seems to be such a distant event in the future, that they are not worried about living for God now. The truth is, we will all stand before God someday, and it could be much sooner than we anticipate. But beyond that, there comes much pain and heartache to a Christian who chooses to ignore God’s Word as part of his daily spiritual health. God has promised wisdom (2 Timothy 3:15), success (Joshua 1:8), peace (Psalm 119:165), and so much more to those who love His Word.
By brushing and flossing our teeth, we are performing a daily personal checkup that will help us to be prepared for the day we have to face the dentist. And in much the same way, reading the Bible is our daily personal spiritual checkup that will help us to be prepared for the day we stand before God. A great habit to get into each day when you tell yourself to go brush your teeth is to also tell yourself that it’s time to read God’s Word. Your spiritual health will be much better for it.
Read also: Psalm 119:9-16
Quote of the day: "The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.” – D.L. Moody