Here's a Note from a Couple Who Are Seizing Their Day!

Here is another note I received when I asked our church family for stories about their involvement in our Carpe Diem spiritual growth initiative for 2014. 

"My wife and I would not consider ourselves Bible scholars—but we have been regularly students and readers of God’s word for many years.  Many times we/I have started an annual reading program and sure enough, early in the program I fell behind-- and never caught up again—BUT this year under the challenge or our Spiritual Growth initiative at Grace—my wife and I have been doing the complete reading/journaling together.  AND we are right on schedule. Today we just finished Numbers—and we are enjoying all the detail of God’s story—many details that I have skipped over before.

Thank you for encouraging this program and holding us accountable."

Thanks for stopping by ... and SEIZE YOUR DAY ... by knowing and living God's Word! 
pj

So ... What Is Meditating on the Bible All About?

One of the mandates of the Bible is that we meditate on what we read from the Bible. For example, in Joshua 1:8, Joshua is commanded by God to mediate on the Law "day and night" and in Psalm 1 we are told that we will be blessed as we do so! Given that mediation on the Scriptures is so vital to our spiritual growth, what is it? How does one go about the practice of biblical meditation? Rick Warren offers up the following simple and practical explanation: 

"I can remember hearing great sermons or in-depth Bible teaching and wondering how the teacher found all those great nuggets of truth in God’s Word. That’s why I wrote my first book 35 years ago: to help people like me. “Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods” shares 12 methods of Bible study, such as the chapter summary method, the topical method, and the verse-by-verse method.

One of my favorites is the devotional Bible study method. If you were to summarize the devotional method in one word, it would probably be “meditate.” For many, the word “meditate” is a bad word. They associate it with Eastern or New Age religions. Some Christians, when they think of meditation, picture people folding their bodies into pretzels and contemplating the lint on their navel.

That may be Eastern or Buddhist meditation, but it’s not Christian meditation. The Bible uses the word “meditate” 29 times in the New International Version to describe a believer’s devotional life. God wants us to meditate.

He promises us that if we meditate on Scripture, he’ll bless us. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (NIV).

So, according to God, you have to meditate on his Word if you want to be successful.

So how do you do it? Grab a dictionary and look up a synonym for “meditation,” and you’ll probably find the word “rumination.” You probably don’t know that word unless you happen to be a farmer. Rumination is what a cow does when she chews her cud. She rolls her cud over and over in her mouth.

That’s similar to how you meditate on Scripture. Cows eat the grass, chew it up, and send it to their stomachs pretty quickly. There it lies in the stomach, soaking up all of those acids and chemicals. Then, after a while, the cow burps it back up with a new and renewed flavor, chews on that grass and some other grass, and does the whole process over again. Cows repeat this several times. They get every ounce of nutrition out of the grass.

Biblical meditation is kind of like that; it’s thought digestion. God wants us to get every ounce of spiritual nutrition out of his Word. He wants us to chew on it, digest it, and then chew on it some more." 

Thanks for stopping by ... and SEIZE THE DAY! 

pj 

Before You Open Your Bible . . . .

It's always necessary to pray before you open your Bible to read and study it. Asking God to come alongside of you to help you understand and ultimately apply what you have read is not only a good thing ... it is indeed a necessary thing! To help you do so, here is a prayer you might want to make your own.

Gracious and holy Father, give us the wisdom to discover you, the intelligence to understand you, the diligence to seek after you, the patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate on you, and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the spirit of Jesus, our Lord. Amen

  (Inspired by St Benedict of Nursia)

Thanks for stopping by . . . and SEIZE THE DAY! 

pj

A Note from Someone Who is SEIZING HER DAY!

Recently I told our church family that I was hoping to hear some of their stories concerning their involvement in our Carpe Diem spiritual growth initiative. Here is one response I received:

"I have decided to read the shorter version of the Psalms and the New Testament, thinking that I may read the Old Testament next year.  I hate to read and never did comprehend well even in my school days.  So this is quite a challenge for me.  I have always wanted to read the Bible through and have never had a choice in something shorter.  I know I have gotten lax in my reading and this had helped me to get back into it.  I am amazed at the information that I have forgotten over the years, especially all the detail on the parables.  All those Sunday School stories have come back to mind.  I was telling a friend what I was doing and she asked for a copy of it.  So I copied the schedule I am using and now she is reading the same as I am.  She and I both felt overwhelmed to think we had to read the whole Bible in one year.  Some days it is a challenge to find time to read but God is helping me and I am current on the chapters.  I am loving spending time reading each day even though I hate to read.”

Just one story of some really cool things God is doing in the lives of those who are making the choice to "carpe diem" by seeking to know God's Word better and to live it more consistently! 

Thanks for stopping by .... and SEIZE THE DAY! 

pj

Do You Have a Plan to Be in the Bible EVERYDAY?

I hope you have a plan to be in your Bible EVERYDAY. Why everyday? Let me answer that question with another: How many days do you spend living in this world? Every day that you are alive, of course! Now according to God, who is it that controls this evil world system in which we live? The Enemy (1 John 5:19). Therefore, day-in and day-out we are being bombarded by the godless messages of a world that is being pushed increasingly further away from God and His Truth. Reading a bit of the Bible here and there whenever we get around to it just won't be enough to counter the lies we are faced with ALL THE TIME! So ... if you want to grow stronger in your faith and gain the wisdom needed to live a God-honoring life in this broken, fallen world ... then you MUST make it your goal to be in the Bible EVERYDAY! So ... set your plan and ask God to help you to stick to your plan. At the end of the day, you'll be better for doing so!

Thanks for stopping by . . . and SEIZE THE DAY by KNOWING and LIVING the Scriptures! 

pj 

Don't Fall Apart!

What Charles Spurgeon wrote well over a century ago is just as true today. When we neglect the Bible, we do so at our own peril. For it is in God's Word that our Creator has laid out for us a blueprint for life to be lived as He intended. A life that is full of meaning and purpose. So ... I hope you are keeping on keeping on with the commitment you made to get into the Bible everyday. And if you have not made that commitment, or if you did but are not longer keeping it, I encourage you to make or renew the commitment to get into the Scriptures. Make a plan ... and stick to the plan. You won't be disappointed if you do so!

Thanks for stopping by . . .  and SEIZE THE DAY as you seek to KNOW and LIVE God's Word!
pj