Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.        Colossians 3:16
What is the importance of having God’s word in our lives?  What is my motivation to let it dwell in me richly?  This would appear to be the question Moses addressed when he said, Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law.  For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.                        Deuteronomy 32:46-47

If this Word is our very lives, we do well to treasure it deeply within us.  We do this to 1) experience what God wants for us in our own lives and 2) to give Him tools to use, through us, in the lives of others.

To allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly requires more than just reading or hearing it taught.  To dwell in us means for us to allow it to “settle down” in us and make its home in us.  This may mean repeating it over and over again out loud or in our heads, even to memorize it, so we can apply it and so it is there when we need it.  To let it dwell richly in us is to meditate or ruminate upon it, to mull it over with the intent to apply it.

When God’s wisdom is stored inside us, it can be accessed and used whenever opportunities present to help others.  This may fall into the category of positive encouragement, such as teaching, or it may involve cautioning them with admonition.  Both should be done with all wisdom, if it is to be offered in the way God Himself would do it, were He still present in the flesh.  Such wisdom will be the result of the hard work of treasuring His word within us.  This breeds the confidence needed for us to be used for good in the lives of people in our circles of influence.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.       2 Timothy 2:15

To offer back to God tools for Him to work with in our own lives and to be ready and equipped to help others in need gives us reason to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to God.  It is a joy to have the confidence that God will do His wise, good will in and through us, using His word implanted there.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.                                                                                Isaiah 55:10-11

Lord, use Your word to fix me, and use me to edify others.