In its simplest form, the scientific Law of Entropy states that “any system is left to itself will go on to randomness or disorder.” That means that everything in the world will naturally move from order to chaos. You don’t have to take a science class to figure that out. All you need is a basement or a garage. We have both at our house, and I confess that in almost 30 years of marriage and living in two different homes, 
I have never once gone into either the basement or garage and discovered that they were, without help, more organized or clean than six months before. It just doesn’t happen. My experience has been that if I don’t bribe one of my children to clean the garage or just go down and start sorting through the basement myself, the clutter and mess will soon accumulate to the point that it’s difficult to even walk.
You know, what’s true of basements is also true of our spiritual lives. We don’t just naturally grow closer to the Lord with time. We may desire to stay on track, but if we don’t diligently pray, read God’s Word and apply His truth, we inevitably drift into neglect and gravitate toward spiritual disarray. We easily get sidetracked by the routine of life. Old habits creep back in and former ways of thinking dull our sensitivity to the Lord’s voice. Relationships with others distract us, and before we realize what’s happened, we find ourselves far from where we want to be.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. ~ Joshua 1:7-8
Of course, God is not surprised at all by our tendency to drift. Perhaps that’s why He gave one of his chosen leaders practical instruction to help him keep on track. He commanded Joshua to mediate on His words “day and night,” and believers would be wise to follow that instruction today. That doesn’t mean to read scriptures 24/7, but it does mean we should engage with God’s truth so regularly that it permeates our thinking and ultimately influences our actions.
Generations later Paul restated the same idea when he told the new believers to “be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” (Rom. 12:2) God’s Word combined with the power of God’s Spirit are the key tools we have to keep our lives free from the mess of sin. But remember, reading scripture isn’t about achieving a goal of a set number or chapters a day as if we are getting a “gold star” for completing a school assignment. It’s about discovering the self-revealing God, and finding Him will always be easier when you first clear away the clutter from your mind and give Him room to move!
