Greetings to you in the beautiful, wonderful, and powerful name of Jesus Christ – THE Risen Saviour! No matter what it looks like on the surface…this is the day that God made for us and we will rejoice and be glad in it! Today is one of those days when we are challenged to “shine for Jesus…Jesus bids us shine!” …are you up to it? I don’t know about you, but I am so glad that Jesus spoke about days and seasons like this and strongly suggested that we …”be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!” Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to ...supernaturally infuse you with strength through your life union with the Lord Jesus. So that you can stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you…Ephesians 6:10 TPT. I pray that each on will hear God say – ” your name, I believe in you and i want to use you right where you are to change someone’s life!”
This week I have received an email alert as to the availability of new products in the Christian marketplace. One of the interesting products is a study Bible called…The Abide Bible, which will come with a series of study journals using their methodology. for getting deeper into God’s word and applying it to our lives. The approach they work with is one that, to some degree, has been part of my discipline for some time. The approach is based on five steps that can be used independently or inter-dependently.
The steps are fairly straightforward: first, to use the text as prayers ; second, picture yourself within the text … and this is my favourite approach ; third, to journal the verse as a dialogue with God ; fourth, to engage with the scripture through art and images … they include illustration and artwork images ; fifth, through contemplation, spending time with God’s Word – a verse at a time or a short passage. It is odd that one of the disciplines that is so important to spiritual growth is studying – meditating on – reading God’s Word but we, for the most part, have never been taught how to do so effectively.
I learned much of my approach through taking a series of drama classes. It was there that I learned how to read a script and ask the questions that made that script come alive. I remember being challenged to describe my character, to think of why he/she came into the scene at that moment, where he/she would go to next, what had they been doing, how they were feeling, and …./. . And I remember getting ready to lead a Bible study and taking a passage and asking those same questions….and I still do that! I have a sense that many of us need to find a new way to study God’s Word.
Just a little something to think about — be blessed!