Slowing Down

Recently I had the opportunity to teach a discipleship class on Bible translations and offer a brief overview of how to study the bible.  I wanted to come out of the gate with a listed fist full of the most excellent and current resources Amazon can provide!  But instead, I opened with “S-L-O-W  DOWN!”  We are a ‘grab & go’ society!  We fly into circumstances and jet out just as fast; we do the same with our devotions and study time.  We seem more concerned with that glorious moment of ‘Check’ in our daily reading box that we miss understanding what we’ve read.  We close the Book, put our half-drunk now cold coffee on the counter and head out into our day.  If we think of it – there is a quick over the shoulder glance with a rushed “Thanks Lord…”

Slow down.  The Bible is a Spiritual book, not to be all-mystic and such, but it is, spiritual.  Paul says it is “God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…”’ (2 Timothy 3:16) Folks, it’s our manual.  As the Pastor of Hebrews declares it is “living and active… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Why rush the divine process.

Slow down, pray before you even open The Book, and invite the Author to walk you through it.  Pray while you’re reading, “Show me Lord, speak, teach, grace my heart to hear and heed…”  In doing so, we not only read the Word, but we allow the Word to read us!  God designed His holy writ to be interactive.   As we close that wonderful Book, pray… ask Holy Spirit to take the words you just read and speak them to you throughout the day.

Slowing down.

In Him, DeDe (“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24)