(03.09..11—Spiritual Discipline!--Psalm 42:1)
May I ask you a question? Are you challenged to read God’s Word? Try chewing it well. If the key that the Bible is more than just a read; it’s a divine testimony?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
I like to read. I subscribe to several different magazines and there is always a pile of books sitting on my, beside table. One of the things that I’ve noticed over the years is that you can really divide reading into two types. There are the articles written for pleasure and the story-telling books that you can plow through page by page and, when done, you’ve retained quite a bit of what you’ve read. Then there are those more scholarly articles and books; where each paragraph presents a thinking challenge or a new thought. Those articles and books can’t just be read. In a way you have to chew on each paragraph, rereading and rereading until finally a dim idea becomes lit and you can move on to the next para- graph. That type of reading has to be chewed thoroughly and not just eaten, so to speak.
Are you challenged to read God’s Word? Try chewing it well. The Bible is more than just a read; it’s a divine testimony.
Here's a story: The following illustration from A Primer on Meditation points out what happens when the mind is direct- ed and focused on one thing: "M.A. Rosanoff, long associated with Thomas Edison, had worked with difficulty for over a year to soften the wax of phonograph cylinders by altering their chemical constitution. The results were negative. Rosanoff relates how he mused night after night trying to 'mentally cough up' every theoretical and practical solution. 'Then it came like a flash of lightning. Rosanoff stated: ‘I could not shut WAXES out of my mind, even in my sleep. Suddenly, through headache and daze, I saw the solution. The first thing the next morning, I was at my desk; and half an hour later I made a recording in a softened wax cylinder. This was the solution! I learned to think waxes, waxes, waxes, and the answer came without effort, although months of thought had gone into the mental mill.'" (Daily Bread.)
Meditation; some have called it the supreme discipline that every Christian needs to cultivate. Yet, it is the one tool that most Christians know the least about and employ very seldom. It reminds me of the story of the man who bought a sundial and then built a shelter around it to protect it. It kept the sundial dry but prevented it from showing the time. Have we kept the truths of the Bible warehoused inside the book by doing nothing more than reading them? The Bible was given to us as a divine guide and not a substitute FOR the divine. When we meditate on the Word, chewing it slowly giving it the opportunity to enlighten us and give us wisdom, we are led directly to the heart of God. It reveals Him to us in a way that nothing else can. As we ought to chew our food over and over again, so also the Word. Otherwise, it is merely reading and nothing more.
We pray. Heavenly Father, we must never build a shelter over Your Word and guard it only. Move us by Your Spirit to read it and chews it thoroughly so that it goes deep within us to reveal Your will for us in this life. Forgive us when we have not kept the truths of the Bible, but rather warehoused them inside the book by doing nothing more than reading them? Thank Your for this divine guide to Your heart. Teach us to meditate on Your Word, chewing it slowly giving it the opportunity to enlighten us and give us wisdom. As we ought to chew our food over and over again, may we do so with Your Word. Otherwise, it is merely reading and nothing more. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”
<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.