Each morning,
after I read my Bible and pray, I like to check in with Facebook to see what my
extended family and friends are up to. I love their pictures and quotes and newsy
tidbits. Most of their posts make me smile, often they prompt me to pray, and
sometimes, when a post is bursting with zeal on a subject my loved ones are
passionate about, they evoke a “Wow!”
People’s posts on Facebook clue me in as to who they care about, what they like to do, why they feel the way they do about certain subjects, where they like to go, and lots of other little personal things. I find Facebook very helpful for keeping touch. However, if I don’t take the time to read the posts of my family and friends, I won’t know them any better today than I did yesterday.
What if we looked at the Bible as personal posts from God? Within those pages we can discover when God’s heart hurts, who He likes to hang out with, His thoughts on a wide variety of topics, and what He is passionate about. And, just like skipping over posts from friends or family members prevents us from being more than just acquaintances, we can only learn more about God by reading what He has posted in His Word.
For me, a daily reading plan works best to ensure that I keep up with God’s posts. I find mine in a Google search at the beginning of each year (I like to change it up from the plan I used the previous year.) For 2023, I am using Daily Devotions from the Lutheran Hour. A great resource for daily devotions delivered right to your inbox is Bible Study Tools.
Jan Smith, in his post “Why Memorize Bible Verses”, recommends speaking God’s Word aloud every day as a way to learn how God thinks. “As I speak Words of Scripture, I’m giving voice to words that originated as thoughts in the mind of God!”
Incredible! I never approached Scripture memorization with that attitude before. I liked Jan’s idea so much I clicked back to BibleStudyTools.com and signed up to also receive a daily email sharing “The Verse of the Day”. Each one reminds me of a “status update” on God’s Facebook page. Pretty cool!
A reading plan and speaking a verse aloud each day connects me with God in a fresh, consistent way. I am getting to know Him better through these daily posts from Him—much like what I experience through Facebook with friends and family scattered all over the world.
What has worked best for you to “hide” God’s Word in your heart? (Psalm 119:11) What helps you get to better know God’s thoughts?
Be encouraged!
©2023 Pamela D. Williams.
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