I once came across an article that was titled "National Geographic, The Doomsday Machine." It humorously stated that National Geographic magazine will soon doom the American continent to a watery grave because no one ever throws it away. Issue after issue piles up in attics and basements all over America. In time, the accumulation of heavy paper will trigger earthquakes in California, sink coal-mining towns, and precipitate mud slides. Especially hard hit will be large cities where subscribers cluster.

This lighthearted idea has a serious spiritual counterpart in people who accumulate God's Word in their minds. The tendency is to store up and file scriptural truth in our heads, but that isn't enough. James reminded us that we must be doers of the Word, not just hearers (1:22). Jesus spoke of the need to put His words into practice (Lk. 12:41-48). Understanding the Scriptures makes us responsible to put its truths into action. It's all too easy to have a "save it" rather than a "use it" attitude.

The Lord hasn't made His Word available just to give us interesting reading. He's preparing us for action. If we ignore this truth, we'll find out on judgment day that taking God's Word lightly carries weighty consequences.  — Mart De Haan