Keep it in Your Heart

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Mark 4:15-19 NIV It's hard to imagine how much power the enemy of our souls has been allowed to have over us and it may be even more difficult to accept the power that is ours through Christ, but it's real. When God's Word reaches a spirit-filled heart, it is safe from theft — Satan can't touch it. But we've got to keep it there. Memorizing and meditating on the Word of God helps us to retain the promises and warnings in the Bible, and reminds us of who we are in Christ. Living out God's Word works even better. Some people sit through a sermon on Sunday morning and walk right out into the church parking lot and cuss somebody out. We can spend an hour in Bible study and the moment we close the Book, we begin to worry about all the troubles in our lives. There goes that thief again — trying to steal our joy! But just as we do so many things to protect and secure our possessions from intruders in this world, in Jesus, we have the ultimate protection for our souls. All we have to do to make sure we do not forget His constant presence, and know He is always with us, is to keep His Word in our hearts. He has promised to be with us all the way to the end and into the beginning of a life without the enemy in it always trying to trip us up. Remember that! . . . because God’s Spirit, who is in you, is greater than the devil, who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 New Century Version-NCV