I ❤️❤️❤️ these next two verses but I am only going to cover the first one today.
21 So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls. James 1:21
In verses like this one, I like to cover meditating on the verse backwards so here goes:
The power to save my soul [which when implanted and rooted in my heart] is the Word of God! In order to receive the Word of God I must do so in a humble, gentle, and modest spirit; a spirit that seeks to learn and receive what is revealed to me. Additionally, I must rid myself of all uncleanness, wickedness, and unrighteousness.
The uncleanness is a blocker to hearing God through His Holy Spirit in us. I like to think of sin like this as veils or scrims of material I put between the Lord and myself that when deliberately layered up (rampant outgrowth of wickedness), block my view of Him and squelch His voice in my life and in my reading of His Word. In this condition, reading Gods Word is likely going to be like reading a newspaper or book where you will miss the Living Word speaking into you through the Holy Spirit. When you are free from these veils/scrims the Holy Spirit speaks into you through the Biblical Passages you read; even when you have read them many times before. You will have moments where you will read one of those verses, have an epiphany, and ask yourself “why did I never see that meaning before??”. That my friend is the Holy Spirit of God speaking to you…take special note of those times and seek to understand where you might apply that learning to your life.