James 1:21 KJV
[21] “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”
James sees the heart of man as a garden. If he does not perform maintenance on his heart it will become overtaken by sin and worldly desires. He must remove the weeds of worldliness and the thorns of wickedness from his soul! He must break up the fallow grounded within his heart. A filthy heart is like a garden overtaken by weeds. The heart becomes hard like the ground that has never been prepared.
James is talking to believers about preparing themselves for the Word of God. We are foolish to think we can allow sin to reign in our lives and still receive the Word of God. The phrase “superfluity of naughtiness” means “an exceeding measure of wickedness”. D.L. Moody once said, “The Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Bible.”
Once sin has been removed our heart becomes tender and our spirit becomes meek toward God’s Word. We do not resist its message nor its demands. After we have received the Word we enjoy the deliverance it gives us. It saves us from sin and destruction. The Bible keeps us from making the wrong choices if we take the time to receive its instructions.
I challenge you to remove anything and everything that hinders you from growing in the Word. Pull out the weeds of worldliness and the thorns of sinfulness today. Clean out your heart and clear off a place in your schedule to receive what God has for you. Pray for a meek spirit to receive the message. Prepare the soil of your soul for the seed of His Word!