Let It Run Through

Author Unknown

A son was once talking to his father about reading the Bible.

“Dad, I read the Bible often and memorize verses in Sunday School, but they never stick with me. I can’t remember them more than a few weeks. So I guess it doesn’t do me any good.”

His father listened patiently, then pointed to a wicker wastepaper basket.

“Son, get that wicker basket, take it to the kitchen, and fill it up with water.”

The Wicker Basket Experiment

The boy did as he was told. However, he quickly discovered that the water ran out of the wicker gaps just as fast as he poured it in.

Finally, he took the empty basket back to his father.

“I can’t get any water to stay in,” the boy said.

“You’re right,” the father replied. “The basket cannot hold the water, just like your mind cannot hold every single verse you memorize.”

A Cleaner Mind

The father then smiled and pointed to the basket.

“But notice how much cleaner and fresher and brighter the basket is now that you’ve run the water through it. That is exactly what happens when the words of the Bible pass through your mind.”

Even if you cannot remember every verse long-term, the process of reading and memorizing still changes you. The more God’s Word passes through your thoughts, the cleaner, brighter, and fresher your mind will become.