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Dear Friends:
Remember our old school days? From September to June we were at our desks, listening to our teachers, doing homework, and reading all the stuff we had to read to learn the subject matter at hand. During that time of my life, I always looked forward to summer so I could have a change of pace and, most of all, so I could read what I wanted to read and not what someone assigned to me. Believe me, the anticipation of the freedom of summer was no less when I was teaching than when I was a student! But summer has always meant for me a time to read books of my own choice.
So, how is your summer reading going? So far, I have read a novel by Sue Monk Kidd entitled The Secret Life of Bees. It made me think about my beliefs and about my relationships, especially with other women. Then I read a story of intrigue called Facing Justice which was written by an attorney and her husband who is a former U.S. Special Agent. It provoked thoughts about the reality of good and evil in our world and the sense of rightness when justice prevails.
But the book I read that I am still mentally processing is Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson. Peterson challenged me to think creatively about how I can internalize the Word of God. Instead of getting into the Bible (as I have done for many years now), I am asking how I can get the Bible into me. Nibbling on the pages (as Peterson’s title may suggest to some) is not the best way to do it, but I do have some other ideas that I would like to share with you in this letter.
So much of our life goes on in our minds. That is why Paul tells us in Romans 12:2b that we can be transformed by renewing our minds. Change takes place there before it is evident in our actions, our feelings, and our relationships. There are competing forces trying to influence our thinking and thus direct who we become. Those forces include television, internet, radio, CD’s, DVD’s, telephones, advertising, and other people. We are subject to a constant barrage of messages and most of those messages detract us from our focus on God, His love for us, and the direction for living that He gives in His Word.
A problem for all of us, though, is that we are so busy that sitting for hours at a time reading and studying the Bible is impossible. But what if we can live our lives on two levels at one time? At one level we are interacting with others, doing our work, and taking care of all our responsibilities. On another level, our soul is communicating with God. That is the ultimate model of multi-tasking. Living in the present and the eternal simultaneously! Do you know that we actually can do that?
As you might have guessed, the Word of God is the means by which we access that second level of living. So, the conclusion I have reached is that I must get the Word of God inside of me as much as possible. This does not require more time from me – it simply requires intention. We must want to have God at work in our minds and our lives and creatively find ways to give Him the power to do just that. Here are some of the things I have been practicing in order to let God’s words be absorbed in me:
1. Carry a Bible at all times
I have a Bible in my car and one that I can carry in my purse or briefcase. If I end up having to wait for an appointment or I am stuck in traffic, or my friend is late for lunch, the time is not wasted. Instead the pause in the action is a gift from God that I can give back to Him by opening myself to His Word.
2. Carry memorizable verses on 3 x 5 cards
When a verse strikes me as particularly applicable to my life or as one that is basic to my growing relationship with God, I write it on a 3 x 5 card (with the reference so I can find it again in context when I need to). The stack of those cards is getting thicker, but I review them often to remind myself of the very words of God to my soul. The review helps me to get the Word into my head, my heart, and my life.
3. Post verses where I can see them
Sometimes when I know I will be having a stressful day, I will ask God for a verse (more about that below) and then write it on a Post It note and put it on my desk, countertop, or the dashboard of my car so that, when my mind gets overloaded with outside messages, I can return to the message that God gave me. When I do that, I am centered once again on the eternal and not as anxious or distracted by the immediate.
4. Keep scripture on my walls
Whenever I can find a nice piece of framed art that quotes a verse that is meaningful to me, I find a place to display it in my home. I have one that my daughter made for me that is a beautifully framed computer generated printout of a verse from I Corinthians 13. It reminds me consistently of one of the characteristics of godly love. If we are busy people (and we all are), having the Word of God where we can sort of catch it as we go by is a way of getting it into our hearts.
5. Ask God for a verse for the day
You may want to try this – it works for me. Before I get out of bed in the morning, I ask God if He has a verse for me for that day. Inevitably one will come immediately to mind. I mull it over for a few minutes as I awaken, then thank Him for the message and remind myself to think of it throughout the day. What has been amazing is that often the verse He gives me is just the one He knew I would need at a decision time or relationship moment during the day. It’s so much fun when He does that!
6. Pray a scripture back to God as I fall asleep
Then, at the end of the day, I try to return the favor to God and I pray a verse of scripture back to Him after I snuggle into bed. Sleep comes easily and soundly when our last thought of the day is a prayer of praise or thanksgiving.
Many of us often say that we just don’t have time to get into the Bible. But, when we begin to be intentional about relating to God, we truly can get His Word into us without it costing us any additional time. We just take scripture with us wherever we go, we engage our minds with it whenever possible, and we let the Spirit do His work by using these powerful words to transform us. Try it! You’ll love it when you see the results!
If you think of ways of internalizing God’s Word that I have missed, please e-mail me. I would love to hear from you!
Blessings!
Bev
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