People who read the Bible regularly, or perhaps even occasionally, have favorite verses - words that have a special personal meaning. I have one very special verse. That one verse confirmed for me a life-changing decision.
Well, actually, there are two verses. The first one is Luke 11:12: "If you... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Thinking about that verse I was able to open my heart to receive God's love for me - his Holy Spirit - in a profound way.
The second verse is Psalm 37:4: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." I still remember where I was, the room and the chair where I was sitting, when I stopped to consider those words. What were the desires of my heart?
Even though life seemed to be going well, the desire of my heart was not to be living where I was. This confirmed for me a decision that changed the direction of my life. I decided to move back to my hometown. I changed my job which led to a new career. And this decision eventually led to an amazing marriage.
Today when I pick up the Bible, I like to read the passages slowly. There are times when certain words "jump out at me" and I pause. I wonder, what is it the Lord is speaking to me through these words? And this leads to prayer.
What are you saying to me, Lord?
How can I respond to what you are saying?
What are you asking of me?
How and when do you want me to do this?
What do these words tell me about who you are?
About who I am with you?
And then I often take notes about the ideas that come to me.
I've been keeping a small notebook with short Scripture verses that I see as helpful to me in my daily life. Sometimes I will read them aloud and let the Holy Spirit inspire me through the written word.
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God loves to reveal himself to us, and through the Bible is one powerful way we can come to know him.
My mother kept a notebook, not so much as a journal as you do, but mainly of clippings of things that (I assume) held special meaning to her. My brother and I found it when we emptied her home after she passed in 1984. I enjoy looking through it and pondering what were the thoughts she had, that prompted her to save each one.
ReplyDeleteI, too, have several notebooks containing a combination of my musings as well as articles, scripture, poems, etc. that have touched my heart.
I wonder if my mother's and my notebooks will someday touch yet another generation? Will my children or grandchildren treasure them as I do my mother's? I hope so!