The Devotional- The implanted Word

The Devotional

Comment: When I was in the United States Navy I was accustomed to military drills almost every day. A drill is a training exercise. Sometimes on issues within the ship, a fire or flooding and maybe even an electrical or propulsion failure. Then when these were completed we would train for battle readiness, torpedo attacks on enemy vessels or vice versa. These drills were a good tool to keep us sailors’ keen on corrective measures, which is the ability to control or limit equipment failure and battle damage. The focus of this little tidbit of information is on the words “every day”. Why” because it takes only a day without training to be a forgetful doer or hearer. Laying aside the distractions of normal activities for the opportunity to implant a command, precept, law, word or statute of the things pertaining to survival in the military (whatever branch) can save or deliver a person or crew from disastrous and fatal results. James 1:19-25 qualifies my thoughts.

Devotional: Psalm 119:49-56 – We are looking at the seventh section of twenty two days in the life of this psalmist, the writer is not identified but he is one of the captives who were taken captive when God allowed the nations of Babylon and Assyria to destroy the southern and northern kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the date of this Psalm is as hard to find as is the human author. The cycle of twenty-two is the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, the eight verses in each section are a twenty-four hour cycle.

From midnight to 3am was the first watch of the day, from three am to 6am was the second watch of the day and so on; every three hours turned another “watch” until the final 8^th of 9pm to midnight. It is said by many Bible scholars that at every turn of the watch the psalmist implanted something from the Word of God while in his captive state, so if true every three hours he trained himself in the Word of God. Also consider, the man is human, he is tormented, tortured and were it not for few of his companions and the Word which he loves he would perish in depression because of the wicked who forsake the Laws of God. 

If you look intently as the words of these sections you will notice that the psalmist is comforted by the commands, precepts, judgments, statutes and word of God continually. Daily he drills and trains his mind to focus on His love for God and His Word. He says that the statutes of God are his songs while in this penal house of pilgrimage and that the Name of God is not forgotten during the night.

Folks, we need to be this sort of person; one who is disciplined to train them self in the Living Word of God, to lay aside the normality of reckless living and to receive the implanted Word of the Living God, it will save our soul. Now one last thought, back in James 1:21 when James says to receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our soul. He is talking to children of God whose soul is already saved for eternity. 

The Greek word here in James 1:21 is the word “sozo” pronounce “sodso” meaning to protect. James is saying that if we wish to be delivered from the overflow of wickedness in the world we must be willing to exercise our soul in the implanted Word of God, we need to daily and hourly train our soul in righteousness, the righteousness that comes only through our LORD and Savor Jesus Christ. Romans 13:11-14.