Prayer is a responsibility and a privilege. But is it really a priority? How do you make or keep it a priority? I am so thankful to be a child of God. Belonging to God’s family means that I have the privilege of coming boldly into God’s presence. I can open my heart and share […]
The leaves have been spectacular again this year. The vibrant colors explode like July fireworks and linger so you can enjoy them for a few days, not just seconds. But I love the fall for another reason. It’s when I married my sweetheart. He was an awesome young man. Intelligent. The leader of our youth group. […]
Wayne was driving down a long monotonous road. It had gone on and on without hardly any change or without much to see. While he is always a very alert driver, he sorta zoned out. Then he felt the Lord caution him, “Pay attention.”
Wayne sat up in his seat, put both hands on the steering wheel fully engaged and alert. Almost as if on cue, a huge, heavy equipment tire, like you would see on a large piece of excavation equipment, came rolling down the highway–right down our lane. It was rolling and bumping pretty fast, but because Wayne was alert, he moved out of the lane he was in and into the far lane. Wayne is convinced that the call to alertness kept us from a terrible accident.
And that’s what God’s Word can do in our personal lives as well. We are bombarded with noise and distractions from all directions. Sometimes our Bible study can get put on a back burner while the responsibilities of life keep us too busy to pursue it. Or Bible study can become routine so that although we are actually reading the Bible daily, we don’t hear what he has to say to us. Isaiah 50:4 nlt “The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.” The KJV says “he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”
I love that picture. It takes me back to when my children were little and I would wake them up for school. Quietly, at first. Then louder, until finally shaking them until I saw at least one eye open. Wake up, I would repeat again and again. Sometimes God does that to me. Wake up, ear! What a graphic picture. I wish I could draw the picture I see. Listen up! This verse is important. I want to tell us something.
I remember specifically, for about a week every time I opened my Bible, I would open it to Jonah. I would quickly turn somewhere else and read my devotion. Then finally, I prayed, “God is there something you wanna say to me here? Am I in rebellion like Jonah was?” God spoke to me with words that I would understand very clearly… and I remember it was sorta like…duhhh, Pat. He had my attention. Where was the rebellion? What needed to change in my life?
God didn’t speak to Moses until he turned aside…until he paid attention. It is so important that we deliberately pay attention to the Scripture.
Let’s look at some ways to get more good stuff from what you read.
1. Pray before you read. Ask God to help you understand and speak to you through His Word.
2. If you have problem focusing-read it aloud.
3. Read the verses in the context of what is being said. If a story is being told, read the whole story.
4. Think about the verse or verses you read.
5. Think about who; what, when of the verses or the illustration you are reading in Scripture.
6. You may need to continue that study by searching out other Scriptures that will help you understand more clearly.
7. What can you take away from the Scripture? How does it apply to you? Ask God to help you apply it in your life.
8. As you are going through the day,continue to think about the Scripture you read.
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