Have You Been Vaccinated?

Quotes are taken from the English Standard Version of the Bible.

Recently, Jon Gerstel and I traveled to Zambia to train Seventh Day Baptist leaders enrolled in the T. I. M. E. (Training in Ministry and Extension) program. Before we could get on the plane, Jon and I needed to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A and Typhoid; we also had to take Malaria pills immediately prior to and during our trip.

Thankfully, neither Jon or I have shown any signs of Hepatitis, Typhoid, or Malaria following our visit to Zambia. Whether this is the result of having been vaccinated or simply because we were never exposed to those diseases, I am glad we had the peace of mind that comes with being vaccinated.

As I was reading Psalm 119:9-16 recently, I reflected on my Zambian experience. In that passage, we come to understand God’s Word as a sort of “vaccination,” helping us remain both pure and close to the Lord.

Staying Pure

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
Psalm 119:9

The likelihood of contracting any of the above-noted diseases while visiting Zambia is fairly remote. The likelihood of being tempted to sin, however, is guaranteed. Every day--and sometimes it seems every moment--we have an opportunity to dishonor God. In our culture, staying pure is a tremendous challenge to say the least.

King David knew what it was like to be tempted (and to fail), but he also knew that one way to protect himself (to “vaccinate” himself, we might say) was to guard his way according to God’s Word. King David used the Word of God to help him stay pure.

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul wrote, “and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Like David, Paul knew that, although staying pure is difficult, if we arm ourselves with God’s Word, we can protect ourselves when temptation comes.

Straying Prevented

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
Psalm 119:11

It can be hard to feel the Lord’s presence at times, but that difficulty is multiplied when we do not spend time with Him, when we fail to listen to Him and go our own way.

When we study God’s Word, we learn His voice and are able to stay close to Him. We also are able to use that Word to turn temptation into opportunities for obedience. When Jesus was tempted, He used Scripture to defend Himself. His close relationship with the Lord and knowledge of God’s Word helped Him overcome temptation so that He would not stray from the path that had been set before Him. That's why Jesus was able to answer Satan, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:12-13).

Remaining pure and close to the Lord are just two of the many things daily Scripture reading can help us do. The Word of God is powerful and also provides us with encouragement while teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training us in righteousness (see 2Timothy 3). That is why we study God’s Word - to store it up in our hearts, declaring those rules with our mouth and delighting in them as much as in all riches. By studying God's Word, we fix our eyes on God’s way, and remain pure and close to our Savior.

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