What are you living for? It's a question I've been asking myself lately. It's a foundational decision, but at the same time, it can be easy to overlook as we go about each day. I think we all know that we should be living for God. But sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in the things of day-to-day life that we lose the big picture. As we go about our days, we forget the real reason we're doing the things that we do. There's so many distractions, so many other things to find ourselves focusing on besides doing all to serve God. It could be making money, gaining other people's approval, being entertained, or just getting our to-do list over with. And what's tricky is that these things that we find ourselves living for (even if it's just in that moment) sneak in so quietly. Choosing to spend more time than we should on social media can be a way of choosing to live for entertainment. Dwelling on the paycheck from a job rather than the way you can be a light for Christ can be a way of living for money. Packing our day full of things to do where we don't feel like we have time or energy to be a blessing to others can be a way of living just to get through the day and feel good about ourselves. None of these things will last though. And, in reality, I don't think that any of us want to be living for them anyway. None of these menial things provide the abundant life that we all crave, but John 10:10 tells us where that is found. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." ~John 10:10 Christ has given us abundant life! We are new creatures and are called to rise above the meaningless things of this world and live for a higher calling. "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." ~1 Corinthians 5:15-17 We're called to do everything for our heavenly Father's glory. (And we're even told not to do it to please men, something that's really easy to do. How many times do we do something with the hope that someone will notice? It's okay for others to notice, but it's not okay for that to be the reason we do it. There's so much more to live for than that!) "Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." ~Colossians 3:22-24 "Whatsoever therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." ~1 Corinthians 10:31 "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." ~Ephesians 6:5-8 And then, when we put our focus on God and living for Him and His glory, He promises to take care of us, both our physical needs and our thoughts and emotions. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." ~Matthew 6:31-33 "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established." ~Proverbs 16:3 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." ~Psalm 37:4-5 Through Christ's power in us, let's rise above living our lives for meaningless things and truly embrace the new life that He's given us. Let's make the choices, in love for our Savior, in each moment of our lives, to do everything unto Him and for His glory, and not for our own. It is when we do that that we find true purpose and joy in life and can be better used by Him. Do you have any thoughts on this? Has there ever been a time that you found it difficult to keep your heart doing things for the right purposes? What did you do about it?
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And we're back with part 2 of the short story that I started sharing last week! If you missed the first part, you can find that here: In His Presence: A Short Story (Part 1!) - Glorious Daughters (weebly.com). In His Presence (Part 2)“I'm gonna head out to the truck with David whenever you get ready.” Rachel looked into the reflection of the dresser mirror to see Jeff, dressed in jeans and red plaid neatly tucked in, standing in the doorway. Arms raised in the air above her head, she finished fastening her ponytail. “I'm ready.” Giving herself one last look-over in the mirror and retrieving her purse from the bed, she followed Jeff to the front door. He opened it, inviting the clean yet earthy smell of fresh rain into their senses. Though it wasn't raining now, gray clouds floated around a darkened sky. Streams of sunlight from between them made the moisture covering everything glisten. The ditch that surrounded David's and Alison's yard looked deep enough to swim in. The gravel on the driveway crunched as they walked together, Rachel just a half-step behind, to David's red truck. David was already in the driver's seat, buckled and ready to go. Jeff opened the passenger door and moved the seat ahead enough for her to climb into the back. Following behind her, he shut the door with a thud that almost echoed in the stillness of the morning. They both got settled into the back seats before anyone broke the silence. “Sure is getting sunnier out.” David's elbow was leaned against the driver's side window, his head resting against the glass. “Yeah. It's nice after all this rain.” Jeff cast a glance out the window. A few seconds of silence went by. It wasn't abnormal for them to have to wait for Alison, though that wasn't really her fault. It was Jeff and David, the latter who had taken after his dad's ways, who seemed to feel the need to always be in the vehicle several minutes before the time they needed to leave. It was just something quirky that was yet another thing that made Rachel smile about in her son and husband. “How do y'all feel about seeing the house and stuff?” The question, though worded casually, was spoken with care, and David glanced into the rear view mirror at his parents. Rachel didn't know how to answer and didn't trust herself to put all the emotion into words anyhow. So she just let Jeff talk. After a moment of thinking, which he often took before answering questions, he finally spoke. “Curious.” He paused. “Don't know what to expect, but,” he glanced at Rachel with a slight smile, “God's got it all in His hands.” Rachel reached over and fingered her husband's hand, and he squeezed hers in return. “Mom?” David glanced at her in the rear view mirror. She gave a slight, wobbly smile and dropped her eyes to her lap. How did she feel about it? “I don't know.” She fingered the seam of her denim skirt. “I guess the same. Curious. Nervous.” She gave a little laugh, one that held a bit of humor with a lot more uncertainty, and immediately cringed at the sound. Jeff gave her a hand another light squeeze. She didn't trust herself to speak for fear the tears would start, but she gave another smile and sat back in the seat. No one said much, and a bird outside the window somewhere in the yard was the only thing to be heard. It was like he was heralding the return of the sun despite all the rain that had fallen. She couldn't help but wonder what his home looked like. All his hard work would probably have to be done over. But he was singing. Alison stepped out of the house and pulled the door behind her. Her bright pink shirt and yellow sandals gave her a cheerful, playful look. Why she was wearing sandals to be out on such wet and soggy ground was beyond Rachel, but the kind childishness of the girl was something that had first stood out when David had brought her home from college that Memorial Day weekend. Her quietness didn't keep her from being a bright spot. Rachel was glad that she was coming along; she reminded her to keep looking up. The truck door opened, and Alison climbed in beside her husband and then shut it with a firm thud. “Ready?” David lifted his hand to change gears and looked around at each of the passengers before rolling down the gravel driveway. **** It wasn't more than a thirty-minute drive, and that only because David drove cautiously and had to take a small detour because of a fallen tree, before they pulled onto the road Rachel and her husband lived on. David dropped his speed as they inched along, surveying the neighborhood out the windows. Jeff reached over and turned the instrumental hymns that Alison had turned on on the CD player down, bringing a silence to the inside of the vehicle. The homes at the beginning of the street looked for the most part fine. Some had standing water in some lower places or a tree broken or knocked over into the yard, and one of the neighbor's had their privacy fence knocked down and carried away to various parts of the neighborhood, but nothing looked too bad or beyond repair unless you counted the old shed in one backyard that probably needed to be torn down anyway. The conditions were certainly much better than it had been in some places, like the trailer park that a tornado had hit. Rachel had seen it on the news, along with everyone else, but seeing it in-person was so much more sobering. Those poor people. Thankfully everyone was okay and only a couple minor injuries had occurred, but all the things that they had lost. Even the stuffed animals she had seen strewn helplessly under a pile of rubble had brought tears to her eyes. Those poor children. These thoughts ran through Rachel's mind as they continued to crawl down the road, getting closer to their home. There was only one more curve in the road before their home should be visible. Rachel involuntarily sucked in a breath and held it as David slowly rounded the corner. First she could see the large weeping willow, then part of the yard, and finally the house came into view. She didn't let her breath out until they had come to be sitting in front of the house and David had stopped in the middle of the road. Rachel's eyes roved over the scene. The house was in tact and standing. Parts of the privacy fence were missing, a couple of which were strewn around the yard. A couple shingles sat on top of her lilies in the flowerbed. The ditches were overflowed and spilled into the yard. The weeping willow branches sagged, and some were broken and laying around. David pulled into the smooth driveway, the tires splashing through the low-standing water, before parking. He looked around. “It doesn't look bad.” “No,” Jeff agreed, though his answer was subdued. He had a lot to think about right now. They all did. But she knew that he was likely already fighting to keep his logical mind from worrying over calculating figures on what the damages would cost and how long they would take to pay for. Help Him, Lord, she silently prayed. David unbuckled his seat belt and pushed open the driver's side, stepping down onto the ground. Rachel followed Jeff as they squeezed past the driver's seat and out the door. Alison met them from the other side of the truck and came and stood beside Rachel. “God took care of it.” The words were really only loud enough for Rachel to hear. She nodded. “Yeah,” she let out the word in a breath. Alison only offered a little smile in return, but Rachel understood the meaning. “Privacy fence got blown around a bit.” There was a chuckle in Jeff's voice. He was a good man to let himself laugh. David smirked. “Maybe some frogs or something were able to use it as a raft.” Alison shook her head at her husband's poor attempt at humor. “He only could've gotten that sense of humor from his dad.” She looked up at her mother-in-law beside her. “Come on.” Jeff reached into his pocket and pulled out the house key. His boots thudded a bit as he walked up the driveway and onto the wet, wooden porch. Silence seemed to have descended on them all as they watched him unlock the door and push it open. He looked down. “The threshold and floor here seems to be a little wet.” He motioned at it with the toe of his boot before stepping in. Alison closed the door behind them. They stepped down off the raised entryway into what was probably about an inch of standing water. Rachel took a deep breath, trying to maintain the upper hand over her emotions. A slightly musty smell met her nose. She instinctively wrinkled it. Would the whole house look like this? Would it get worse as they went through? What about the bedroom? The furniture looked wet, and a bit of mold seemed to be forming on the bottom of the couch. It could be cleaned or replaced though. She followed Jeff into the kitchen. The water levels were the same on the vinyl plank flooring as they had been in the living room. The counters were still clean, just like she had left them. “Bottom cabinets are a bit moldy,” Jeff pointed out the very bottoms of them right against the trim near the floor. He bent over and pulled one open. Sure enough, there was the beginning of mold on the bottom of one of them in a spot. Rachel sighed. In her kitchen? Jeff shut the cabinet and straightened. “Let's look at the bedrooms.” He took her hand and led her through the low water back through the living room and then down the hall. Alison and David hung back as Jeff opened their bedroom door and led her in. The carpeted floor looked a bit damp beneath her boots as she crossed through the doorway behind him. She looked around. The bed sat untouched, except for the damp ends of the lower-hanging tassels on the spread that she had put on it right before they left. Even if they'd only been leaving for a storm, Rachel still refused to leave a home that she wouldn't feel comforted coming back to the way she had left it. Her mind was brought back to looking around her by Jeff's voice. He was bent over one of the desk drawers by the window on the far wall. Having opened it, he peered into it and felt the contents with the tips of his fingers. “Some of these papers may have gotten wet.” Rachel came up behind him. She gave a small gasp but caught herself before it came out too loud. Alison and David in the hall would be too far away to hear it. “Is that the crafts?” she let out, keeping her voice controlled. Jeff inhaled and pulled out the top several sheets of paper, which he revealed to be receipts and letters from various companies. He laid those on the top of the desk and then reached back into the drawer. Next was several letters from various people, some personal and some about business. Water spotted the edges of them, but it wasn't what Rachel was concerned about at the moment. He laid them on top of the other stack on the desk and then reached inside again. Sure enough, he pulled out a few of the crafts that she had saved from David's and Sarah's growing-up years. These showed signs of the corners being wet before, but they weren't affected much. The crafts below them would be from their younger years. Rachel knew the way she had arranged them in order from their at-home-with-Mom crafts in the bottom to the drawing that Sarah had done during the last week of her senior year on top. She sucked in a breath as she realized what that meant. The ones she had done with them were closer to the floor. Tears filled her eyes as Jeff pulled out the last few papers, wet and with color run down them. You couldn't even tell what they were or what the childish print on them said. It was all run with water. A tear slipped down Rachel's cheek, soon bringing others with it in harder succession, despite her efforts to keep it all in. Jeff stood up from his crouched position and wrapped his arms around her, holding her and letting her rest her head on his shoulder as she tried to keep the tears in check. The door behind them closed; probably David and Alison wanting to give them privacy. With that the tears came loose, and she stopped trying to hold them back. Why? She knew other people lost so much more, but why did she have to lose these precious reminders of all those hours they'd sat together coloring and learning to write? She didn't keep hardly anything, even of their school crafts as she only kept their favorites and the ones that meant something particularly special to her or them, but why had God allowed the few things she did keep to be so ruined? For what was probably almost a full two minutes she stood there and cried on her husband's shoulder, as he just stood there and held her, his hand placed on her back. Finally, the cries subsided and she sucked in a shaky breath. Jeff began stroking her hair as she fell silent. “It's gonna be okay.” The words were cliché maybe, but comforting. “You still have the memories.” Rachel sighed and lifted her head. He gently pushed her head back down, almost like he was trying to make her relax. “What?” “Do you . . . do you think the pictures could have gotten wet?” She felt his chest slowly expand with a deep breath. “I don't know.” He gently let her go and pulled out of the embrace, then crouched down by the other desk drawer. The first few pictures were fine. But many of them, once again the ones from the longest ago according to Rachel's organizational system, were wet and stuck together. Rachel felt the tears coming back into her eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She sat down on the floor, not having the strength to want to stand. Gently prying, Jeff tried to pull one of the pictures apart, but it only ruined the one behind it. As he flipped through them, Rachel caught a glimpse of what had been the pictures from David's birth. The only copies. And the tears came again, too strong for her to stop. It wasn't fair. And the professional photos she'd gotten of them before David had gone to kindergarten, those were in that run and ruined stack too. Rachel covered her face with her hands as the cries got harder, and Jeff's arm was once again around her. “Why did they get ruined?” she let out between the tears. “The water got to them.” His voice was so calm, so logical. “No, why did God let them get ruined?” There was a pause. “I don't know. He has a reason. Trust Him. He knows.” “They're so special to me. The crafts and the pictures from David's-from his birth-and the photos before he before he went to school. I didn't keep that much, why would God let these get ruined?” “I don't know.” He tightened his arm around her shoulders. “But God does.” “I know.” She let herself cry until all the tears were gone, and then she fell silent once again. After a few seconds, he spoke up in prayer. “Lord, please help us both. It's hard seeing things that are special to us be ruined like this. Please help us to trust that You know best. Please help our emotions, and please help us to hold onto the memories You've given us even if we don't have the items or pictures. Please provide the things that we need. Lord,” he took a deep breath, “we have a lot to fix with the flooring and things. Please provide; I know You can. Thank You for the memories, and for the things that You have provided, and for the ways that You will continue to provide for us. Thank You for being our Shelter in the time of storm.” Rachel couldn't help but notice the tears in his voice as he said that. “In Your Name, Amen.” After a few minutes together, they stood up and opened the door to join David and Alison again. **** The next evening, Rachel climbed into the guest bed beside her husband, who seemed to always make it there before she did. His Bible was spread out on his lap as he flipped around in it. He often worked on word studies at night on different topics. “What are you reading about?” She pulled back the blankets and slipped her legs underneath them. “Joy.” He turned to be facing her more and shifted his Bible on his lap. “'Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.'” She shifted in the bed and laid her head on his lap. “The presence of God brings joy.” His quiet voice spoke above her. “Fullness of joy.” Rachel didn't say anything but only gave a little sigh, one of contentment and not of tiredness. “That's how we have joy through this, Rachel. He's here. He'll never leave us nor forsake us. That brings joy and pleasure.” Rachel nodded against his lap. Rejoice alway. In His presence is fullness of joy. After a few moments of silence, Rachel lifted her head and rested it on the pillow next to her husband's, still leaning her head against his leg beside her. He was there for them. “Should we pray together?” he whispered. “Sure,” she whispered back. His strong, calming voice lifted in prayer above her. “Father, we thank You for everything that You've done for us. Thank You that even through this hard time, we haven't lost a lot and that You've still provided for our needs. Thank You for being here for us, and for listening whenever we call on You in prayer. Thank You that You never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what. Thank You for this place to stay with our son and that he's been so kind to let us use it for however long we need to. Thank You that there is fullness of joy in Your presence. Please continue to provide and help us to follow and trust You no matter what. We love you, Father. Amen.” The tears slipped out of Rachel's eyes and slid down her cheeks. God was with them. He had a reason. All she had to do was trust. **** Rachel laughed. It felt good to finally have the couch, cleaner than it had been before the storm, back in its rightful place. Jeff and David had redone all the flooring in new vinyl plank, and the room had even gotten a fresh coat of paint while they were at it. But there was one more thing she had to add to it. After stepping outside for a moment, she returned with a bag. As she took the piece of wood out of it, Jeff walked over to her. She laid it down on the coffee table. It was painted light blue, but in a thin enough layer that in some places you could still see the wooden texture beneath. In bold, white lettering it read, “...in thy presence is fullness of joy....” Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he gave her a little squeeze. “It's our truth from our Father that we're learning.”
Have there been any special things to you that you've learned about joy in your life?
Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Giving thanks and joy seem to go hand-in-hand. It's hard to be thankful without being joyful or to be joyful without being thankful. And the topic of joy (and how that is found in God's presence) is just what this short story is about! This is one that I got to write this summer and that was recently published in a collection from the King's Daughters' Writing Camp. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for information on where you can get a paperback or ebook copy of the book and read several other stories from Christian writers on the theme of joy! In His Presence (Part 1!)Rachel Lansey finished zipping up her dark blue suitcase, then sat back on the carpet with a sigh. She clutched the hairbrush she had just retrieved and glanced up at her husband. Jeff was sitting on the bed reading a magazine, seemingly just as comfortable in their son's guest room as he was in his own bedroom. “How long do you think we'll be here?” Jeff glanced up. “Huh?” Rachel swallowed and stretched her legs out, shifting into a more comfortable position. “I just said, how long do you think we'll be here?” “At David's house?” At Rachel's nod, he set the magazine down. The corner of his mouth twitched downward in thought. “I don't know.” He ran a hand over his well-kept beard. “The rain sure hasn't slackened off any.” That was for sure. Rachel had never been through a hurricane that had so much rain as this one. Even right now she could hear the rain pouring against the roof and windows. “God's been good though, you know?” Jeff spoke up. “It could've been worse.” Rachel stood up and walked around to the other side of the bed, where she climbed up to sit across from him. She ran the brush through her curly brown hair. He was right. It was only a category two. But the rain kept coming and coming. It was staying longer than anyone had suspected. And their house, a mobile home, was situated right in the middle of a small valleyed area. Rachel set the brush down on the side table. She leaned back against the decorative pillows lining the headboard of the bed. “Why would God make it flood so badly?” The question wasn't spoken in anger. Jeff turned his face to his wife as he lifted his legs onto the bed and stretched them out. He sighed, one of those thoughtful sighs that he gave when he was presented with something that made him have to think. It was one of those things that Rachel had found attractive back when they had first met. His words brought her mind back to the subject at hand. “I don't know. But He knows. Maybe it's to build our faith. Maybe He's going to do something for us that wouldn't be possible otherwise.” He paused. “His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts.” A slight smile spread over his lips. Jeff always seemed so good at just resting in God's promises. And he'd helped her to over the years as well. She leaned her head back against the headboard and looked up at the ceiling. It was hard not knowing how long this rain would last or what their home looked like right now. Seeing the news and weather reports just an hour earlier hadn't helped. Sure, they exaggerated the facts sometimes, but that footage was real. It was places she knew, and they were covered in water. They had even told about a house that was filled with water up to waist-level already. She had finally made herself leave the room after just five minutes of it, but the pictures stayed in her mind. Lord? I'm trying to trust You, but it's hard. I know that Your plan is always perfect, and that Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts than our thoughts, but I'm worried. Tears brimmed her eyes and choked the words that were forming in her throat, though they weren't coming out of her mouth. Please protect us all. And please don't allow anything to happen to our home. A tear slipped out and started to trickle down her cheek. I just want to be able to go to a safe home. She paused in her prayer. Jeff was once again flipping through the magazine, though he didn't seem too engrossed in it. Please help me to trust You. And--she almost stopped herself, but she sucked in a breath and kept going--not my will, but Thine. At that last phrase, she felt a sob rise up in her throat. She couldn't let fear get the better of her. She had to trust. Faith. Jeff once again set the magazine down on the side table. He rolled over to face her. “You good if I turn the light out?” Rachel nodded and reached over and switched on the lamp as Jeff got up and turned out the overhead light. She watched him sit down on the edge of the bed, remove his tennis shoes and place them neatly on the floor, and then climb under the covers, still in his jeans and t-shirt but not seeming to mind. A few moments of silence filled the bedroom, Jeff stretched out on his back staring at the ceiling and Rachel sitting up listening to the sounds of the quiet house. “God's got it under control, Rachel.” He turned his head and looked at her. She sighed. He was right. “I know.” She slipped off her shoes and tossed them on the floor. Pulling back the blanket, she climbed into the bed. Trust. It just wasn't always easy. **** The next morning was brighter for Rachel. She purposely chose not to walk into the room when the TV was on but to just ask Jeff what was happening. It was when Jeff was in the living room with David watching the weather that she found herself sitting on the window seat, staring outside. Alison's cat was curled up beside her on the plush cushion. Footsteps from the living room caused Rachel to look up from the window. David walked into the room, his white socks sliding against the floor. “How you doing?” Rachel nodded and sat up straighter on the seat. “Good. Dad still watching the weather?” “Nah, we just cut it off.” David pulled out a chair at the small circular kitchen table and turned it to face his mom. He was the picture of casual in his white t-shirt and basketball shorts. He'd always been that way at home, even before he was a teenager, and it was something unique about him that made Rachel offer a small smile to herself. “Hey, Brother Mac sent me a text a few minutes ago. He said that he was planning to go for a short drive this afternoon, and he could stop by y'all's place if the road was clear.” Rachel glanced out the window, then back at her son. “A drive? Is that safe?” David ran a hand through his thick brown hair. “He said that the water is low enough in some places that he thinks it should be fine.” He paused. “I'm sure he won't go if the road ends up being flooded.” Rachel nodded. “Anyway,” David's voice cut into her thoughts, “He said that he would if he was able to, so maybe he will. He said he was gonna take some pictures of around town to send.” The corners of his mouth pulled upward in a smirk. “It might be nice to see what things actually look like when not dramatized by a meteorologist.” Rachel gave a little laugh. That was true. Maybe it would help reassure her. Neither of the two spoke for a couple minutes, each just thinking and listening to the sounds of rain. “Mom?” Rachel turned to meet her son's eyes at the sound of his soft voice. She rarely heard it get so soft as that now. “Yeah?” He watched her for a moment. “Are you afraid of Brother Mac going to look at the house?” He looked up and met her eyes. “Afraid of what he'll find?” Rachel swallowed. Only Jeff could usually read her that well. And sometimes not even he could. She cast her eyes down for a second, then gave a faint but clear nod and let out a little sigh. His blue eyes still looked at her, studying her. “It's scary to think about what's happening that I'm not seeing. And, you know, what if everything you worked for is going to get . . . messed up?” David didn't make a sound for a couple seconds, but then he shifted in his seat to face her. “Mom.” His voice was gentle yet somehow firm. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “That's not what you worked for.” He swallowed. “If something were to happen to the house, and you had to do a lot of repair or,” he hesitated, “if it was destroyed, that's not what you worked for. You and dad worked for so much more that can't be messed up by a hurricane.” The tears in Rachel's eyes brimmed over, and she couldn't meet her son's eyes. He hardly ever spoke about emotion like this to her. “Y'all's marriage, me and Sarah,” he referred to his younger sister, “All those bus kids y'all have worked with, all the work you've done for Christ. That can't be destroyed.” He paused, then added, “You know?” almost like he was trying to add a level of casualness to his otherwise deeply emotional statements. Rachel sniffed and slowly nodded. She did know. She agreed with everything he said. But it was like her heart wouldn't grasp it. The part of her brain that was wired according to numbers and being thrifty and money-savvy, all that part of her filled with worry. They didn't even have hardly any flood insurance. And that mother's part of her brain? That one thought of all the pictures and crafts. “Mom?” David's voice reigned her thoughts back in. She looked at him. “I'm praying for you. God's not gonna let anything happen that won't work for good.”
What did you think of the first part of this story? Have you heard of the collection this story came from?
What do you think of when you think of doing your daily devotions? For some it may be reading through a passage and taking the time to meditate on what it means. For others it may be getting out a Greek/Hebrew dictionary or a concordance and studying out individual words and meanings. Some people like to study a certain topic and read all the passages having to do with that particular subject. Others use a devotional plan and read the suggested verses and then the devotional's commentary. But what about memorizing the Bible? If you're like I've been for most of my life, this isn't something you think of doing on your own on a daily basis. It's more of something you did when you were younger, or that you do for school or Christian summer camp. Lately though, that has definitely changed. I went through a season where really chewing on a passage was difficult. I felt that I needed something simpler to let my mind dwell on the Word of God and truth. It was around then that I really got to seriously thinking about how many verses I'd had the opportunity to learn but that I wasn't practicing and was likely to soon forget. Working on these memory verses (and memorizing new ones!) proved (and is still proving!) to be a great way to be in my Bible without feeling daunted by the need to pick the verses apart too much. Of course study and reading is still necessary, but this can be a great addition to that or something to even put more focus on for a season! "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." ~Colossians 3:16 "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." ~Psalm 119:130 Even just the simple entrance of them giveth light and understanding! "The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." ~Psalm 37:31 There's certainly more to having the law of God in your heart than memorizing It, but what a great way to do that and to be able to quote It in your mind during any time of the day! "Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee." ~Proverbs 6:21-22 So, today, let's look at seven different methods you could use to memorize Scripture! Write it out. Listen to it. This is right up an auditory learner's alley, but it can help other types of learners too. Online audio Bibles aren't hard to find and are easy to listen to on-the-go! Sing it to a tune.
Read it aloud Repetition, repetition, repetition is the key. Hearing your own voice saying something over and over again can be a great way to get it running through your mind. Notecards
Phrase by phrase
Put it in a place where you can see it. This works especially well for memorizing just one verse. It could be done by sticking a sticky note with It on your mirror or desk (or somewhere else you look at alot), setting up a graphic with the verse on it as your screensaver, or writing It on the same page as your to-do list. Are there any methods that you have found to work well for you with memorizing Scripture? Is there a certain verse or passage that you are working on or would like to work on memorizing?
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