by Marcie Bridges, @Marcie_Bridges
2 Timothy 3:14-17
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Somewhere along the line
it became a habit.
Glossing over words and skimming
keeping emotion at bay or
letting it flood in on a whim.
Time didn’t stand still long enough
to take it all in. Breathe it. Inhale.
One letter blurring into another.
Eyes misting over … foggy…
too many to keep up with.
There’s no meaning in reading
when reading is only snitches and
snatches here and there.
You can either read slow and absorb
each notion, each idea, each symbol
or
go through it at the speed of light
never realizing there was a point
the author was trying to make.
And I let it happen.
Playing hopscotch in my Bible
cause I’ve read those words
a hundred million times
they all fold together
boring me with their rhymes
instead of boring a hole
deep into my soul.
The all too familiar is no longer
a love made in heaven
until I decide to love what God has given
Quit skipping the familiar verses
read them like they’re brand-spanking-new
let them refill and renew
because God’s words were never made
to be just words on parchment scrolls
but life and health and resurrection
to our souls.
Now if we would just quit
letting our minds tell us
we’ve read all of this before
what is new?
And let our hearts hold fast
to the truth
Because when we think He’s forsaken us
maybe it is we who have forsaken Him
by skipping over what we have read
over and over again.
Not anymore. No, not me.
I am going to savor each word
like the best food I’ve ever tasted
like the chocolate that melts as heaven
the water that quenches.
Maybe, just maybe, if I re-learn to savor
His words
all of them
I will be filled with His Spirit
as a vessel filled to the brim
with the choicest wine that only God can satisfy.
©22 September 2017
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passages I know so well I could recite them in my sleep as I read during
my devotion time or maybe as I read a blog post.
habit of sorts. In fact, in all sincerity, I think it has become the
reason I am not getting as much out of my quiet times lately.
It’s
kind of like going to church and the pastor or speaker says to open to
Hebrews chapter 11. For many years I would groan inwardly and my mind
would wander around during the sermon. Until one Sunday I had a thought
and I followed through with it. I prayed, “Lord, I don’t want to hear
another sermon about this. But someone needs to hear it. So help me to
find something new during this time with you.” And I did. I can’t tell
you what it was because it was several years ago; however, it taught me a
great lesson.
God is always ready to show
me something new. He is always ready to help me understand the His Word
better and to grow even when I think I have heard it all before.
There’s always something to be found in the “old”.
So here are some ways I’ve been experimenting with my quiet times lately.
10 Ways to stop hopscotching in God’s Word:
2. Try reading the verse in a different version.
3. Find one verse that resonates in your spirit, write it down, and place it where you can see it every day.
4.
Make it personal. Write it down as though God has written it just for
you substituting your name in the verse. For example: “The Lord is my
shepherd” becomes, “The Lord is Marcie’s shepherd. Marcie shall not
want. He makes Marcie to lie down in green pastures, He leads Marcie
beside still waters.”…
5. Draw a picture in your Bible beside the verse. Make it come alive in your heart and mind. Get creative!
6.
Take notes during your devotion time. Don’t just read it. Write down
what you feel and understand about what you have read. Yes, this takes a
little time, but it is so worth it!!!!
7. Pray. Ask God to come and sit with you while you read. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
8. Find out what the verse means during the time it was written. A great place to start is at Biblestudytools.com or the Matthew Henry Commentary online.
9. Ask a spouse or friend what the verse means to them. Ask them to study it with you or to make it their verse for the week too.
10.
Pray over the verse. Highlight it in your Bible. Make notes beside it.
Ask God to hide it in your heart so it will become special to you. Each
time you read it, you will want to savor it, not just skip over it.
Those are my 10 ways to stop hopscotching, what are yours?
Oh, this is awesome advice, Marcie! The last thing we should be doing during our quiet time is taking God's Word for granted. Yes, I've been there and done that . . . Never satisfying! Thanks for reminding us to expect God to show us something new even in the verses we know by heart. Blessings!
HI Martha! This has been on my heart for quite some time. So glad to know I'm not alone in this. Thank you for visiting and sharing. Hugs, Marcie 🙂
This is a GREAT post! Thank you for your transparency and for the super suggestions at the end. You're so precious 🙂
Thank you dear friend. Many hugs as you seek the Lord with all your heart. I love you 🙂
What great and fresh new insight, Marcie! I love, love, love the analogy of meditating on God's Word to playing hopscotch. And it's so easy to do. You're a blessing!
Karen, thank you so much for visiting. It's so easy to skip over verses we've learned from childhood, isn't it? Learning to slow down and find new meaning in His Word has become very precious to me lately. 🙂
Marice, I love, love this one! You've touched on a subject that is dear to my heart. My spiritual life changed dramatically when I started journaling the Word. In fact, I co-wrote a devotional study journal that outlines the method of writing scripture out using the acronym SOAK. S for scripture. O for observation. A for application. K for kneeling in prayer. Our agent has sent it out and we are in hopes of publication.
I love you tips to slow down and "soak" in God's word.
Blessings,
Beckie