Exercise (but not the kind you’re thinking of)

Did any of you resolve to spend more time with God this past New Year? So you sit down to read your Bible and realize you don’t remember what you’ve just read? While you’ve been reading your brain has been going over all the many “to-do’s” on your list.  It’s not easy quieting our inner selves and focusing on God and His Word.

I wish I could say that I’ve found the answer to that problem – but I can’t.  But I have found that quieting my inner self takes discipline and practice.  It’s worth the effort to press myself in this area.  Our culture is full of emphasis on physical exercise and training and the benefits of it.  But let’s not forget what Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:7-8, “….train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”  Wow!  If we really believed that, I think it would radically change how we spend our time.  

As we train ourselves to quiet our hearts, we position ourselves to better apply the Word of God in our life, which brings transformation.  After all, isn’t that the purpose of reading the bible to relate to God’s love and be transformed?  Hopefully, your goal is not to check it off your list.

Mark 4:24 says that the measure (amount) of thought, study and meditation we give to the Word will determine the measure (amount) of revelation we receive back. I’d rather spend a lot of time thinking about a small passage of Scripture throughout the day than to read large amounts of Scripture to fulfill an arbitrary goal.

Each month this year the end of my articles are going to issue you a challenge.  Here it is:

As you read Scripture, if something jumps out at you, or you don’t understand something, stop there!  Invite the Holy Spirit to bring revelation to your heart as you ponder and meditate on what you’ve read.  Expect to receive insight!