What exactly does the word “heed” mean?
It is more than hearing (Psa. 119:9)
It is more than agreeing (Hos. 4:10)
It is more than teaching (Josh. 22:5)
It is more than honoring (II Kings 10:31)
So what is heeding? It is remembering to use, following what is said, and making that a rule for conduct.
REMEMBER TO USE (II Pet. 1:19)
According to Psalm 119:9, the object we must heed in order to keep a clean life is the Word of God, and that is backed up here by the Apostle Peter.
1. The Word of God is reliable
Peter calls it a more sure word of prophecy. It is a firm foundation that you can place your life upon with confidence. Don’t put your confidence in a horoscope, or the lottery; those are man-made, and will fail you.
Because the Word of God is reliable, we must heed it, that is, remember to use it. How sad that the Bible is the greatest dust-collector for many homes today. It is owned, but it is never opened; it is available, but it is never acknowledged; it is ready to help, but it is never read for help.
2. How to use the Word of God
Peter tells us exactly how to use the Word of God: “as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.” When you go camping, you should always bring a flashlight. But how pointless it would be to bring a flashlight and not use it when you need it.
Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Your heart is a dark place; that’s why you need the Word of God to be there. America is a dark place today; that’s why the Word of God needs to be in our churches, our schools, our courtrooms, and our homes. We must take heed to this Light by using it in our daily lives.
FOLLOW WHAT IS SAID (Heb. 2:1)
These are building one upon the other. We must use the Word of God, and we must also obey it. We cannot obey it until we first use it.
1. Give it earnest heed
The word “earnest” speaks of “more abundant, more frequent.” We must give more frequent heed to the Word of God. We must obey it constantly in our lives. Sunday should not be the only day to give heed to the Bible.
Think of the things we take heed to on a daily basis. Some of you take heed to a diet. We take heed to basic hygiene. We take heed to safety laws while driving. Teenagers, you take heed to your schoolwork. We have taken heed in our jobs and families. These are things we take earnest heed to, things we are constantly doing because they are important and necessary. How much more important is it that we take earnest heed to the Word of God, which is our food, our safety, our teaching, and our life?
2. The danger of slipping
The word “slip” here means “carelessly pass or miss.” How careless to skip church or to neglect the Bible because something else is more important to us! When we do not give earnest heed to the Bible, we can easily slip in our thinking, our feelings, our decisions, and our actions. We can slip into acting in the flesh. We can slip into the world.
How is it that a young person who has grown up in church all his life can leave home and never walk into church again? 80% of Christian teenagers today stop going to church after they graduate from high school. How does that happen? It’s simple and obvious. They did not give earnest heed to the Bible, and therefore slipped away from the Lord.
MAKE IT A RULE FOR CONDUCT (I Tim. 4:16)
1. Take heed to yourself
When someone goes on a diet, he must take heed to himself. He must be very careful about what he eats. He must ensure that he is exercising on a regular basis. He must take heed to his body.
We must do the same thing spiritually. We must be careful what we consume, and how much; we must exercise ourselves spiritually. It’s easy to look at others, but the most important thing is to take heed to yourself. How much have you grown this year? If you haven’t grown, you’re not taking heed to yourself.
2. Take heed to doctrine
That’s the Bible! Once again, the Bible is central in the act of heeding. Take heed to doctrine: learn it, remember it, obey it, and use it. The word doctrine simply means “teaching.” Take the teaching you receive from the Bible and live it.
3. Continue in them
Taking heed to yourself and doctrine is not something that should be a one-time thing. This is something you need to do for the rest of your life. It is a life-long commitment. Commitments can be hard to keep. They take dedication; they take devotion; they take perseverance and self-discipline.
II Timothy 3:14, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.”
4. The result of this will help you and others
The word “save” here means “to deliver or protect, heal, preserve, do well, make whole.” Paul is speaking to the young pastor Timothy, who has a responsibility to his church. He must give an account for them, so by taking heed to himself and doctrine, he will save himself grief and trouble.
This is the only way to grow in the Christian life. Growth in the Christian life is not like growth in the natural life. In the natural life it happens automatically, but in the Christian life growth must happen on purpose.
CONCLUSION (Ecc. 12:9)
The preacher does his part by giving good heed, and you do your part by taking the knowledge and wisdom he gives, remember to use it, follow it, and make it a rule for conduct.
Psalm 119:10-16. It sounds like David is taking heed to God’s Word. In these verses we find commitment, memorization, teachability, testimony, praise, meditation, and delight. After all of that, David says, “I will not forget thy word.”
If you will take heed to the Word of God as much as David does here, you can say the same thing. It takes effort to heed the Bible. Are you ready to do it? Have you slipped in some areas? Get back on track tonight.
