Friday, January 7, 2011

May I make a suggestion.....?

Do you find it difficult to apply God's word to your present life.  Or do you find that when you read Scripture you walk away thinking "well, that's done...not sure what it meant for them (the Israelites) and I for sure don't know what it means for me". 

Well, I have a suggestion for you.  I just completed it for myself...and I think it's worthy to share with you.  The suggestion comes from the book "Shopping For Time" mentioned in my recent post.

 Maybe you are new to making Scripture reading a daily activity.  More often you hear the bible read to you at church where your Pastor chooses a passage and then neatly unpacks it for you and delivers you with a message that you can then understand and apply to your daily life.  But now you have decided to crack the spine of your Bible at home; perhaps at 5:42 a.m.  :)  Don't you love the sound of those crinkly pages?

Developing a plan for systematically reading portions of Scripture will  most likely keep you from becoming frustrated and/or bored with reading the Bible.  Following a reading plan is a good idea, as long as it doesn't become a journey of ticking off the little boxes showing that you've completed the day's "work".  I've been there....and it wasn't a very fruitful time.  But whatever your system is for choosing where to read I think it is beneficial to read thru a book in order rather than just opening your bible and letting your finger drop on a passage. 
Once you've chosen where to start read the passage (keep it short - perhaps just one chapter or less if it's a long one) and consider the following:  write two sentences (or more if you want) one beginning with "God" and one beginning with "I".  To complete the sentence beginning with "God", ask yourself, "what do these verses reveal about God?"  You may see examples of His love, His faithfulness, His compassion.  Write it down and maybe jot down the verse where you saw evidence of this.  Then for the sentence starting with "I", ask yourself  "What do I learn about myself in relation to God from these verses?" and "What do I resolve to do in response to God's revelation of himself in these verses?"  The example from my own devos this morning had me reading Isaiah 2.  (that's all, folks - just one chapter).  Isaiah 2:22a says "stop trusting in man..."  So I wrote in my journal:  "I will not trust in man".  And then to answer the second question I wrote:  "I will seek the Lord daily to find strength in Him alone." 

Then take your sentences and pray them back to God.  Worship Him first for the aspects of His character that have been revealed to you.  Thank Him for the many facets of His grace you've glimpsed.  And ask Him for his assitance to respond in obedience.

Blessings,

Melissa

4 comments:

V said...

I loved this book. I had a single girl friend loan it to me, thinking I could use it. She was right. Some really great principles in there - I might just have to buy the book!

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

This is FABULOUS. It's funny- last night I was watching a Veggie Tales with the kids and really applying it to my current life- I am continually reminded of what a different life the Isrealites had compared to our cushy lifestyle... and yet it is so clear sometimes.

Thank you.

Steph

Charonthefarm said...

This is a great idea for me. You've inspired me again and again -- thank you! And I need to find myself a copy of that book! <3

Anonymous said...

fabulous! thanks, Mel!

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