ALIVE

I never really got the point of history. I'd heard the default adult response too many times: "You can learn from history." Yeah, I can learn that Hitler was evil and that Napolean was short. I still haven't grasped the importance of reading about dead people. I mean, they might have been the big kahunas of their time, but if they're dead, they really aren't doing much, are they?
Religion is filled with the stories of dead people. Every religion has its roots and its history. Take Buddhisim's Sidhartha, or the Buddha. Sidhartha was a prince, living an extravagant yet sheltered life in his father's palace. One day he happened to see all the poor, starving beggars of his country for the first time, and from then on vowed to live a simple life outside the palace grounds and away from the comfort and wealth of his home. Then he died. The same goes for Muhammed, and every religion leader...except one.
Jesus Christ is the only religious leader who is alive today. The others had some nice ideas, but they all passed away. Jesus doesn't fade, and His followers don't either. Since Jesus is alive, His Word is still alive as well.
 Isn't that a powerful verse? God's word is alive and working! No matter how thick the walls around our hearts have become, the Holy Spirit breaks down the wall and sends the verses straight to our hearts, "where the soul and the spirit are joined".
I've had countless people tell  me that every time you read the Bible, you learn more from it. Even if you've read it 4 times cover to cover, you will always discover something new. That's the living power of Scripture and the working power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is alive! Every time you read the Bible, you can know God more.
When you read about Jesus in the Bible, you can be sure He made history -- but He is still making history today! You aren't reading about a great dead guy, but an amazing living Savior.

JUST DO IT!
Pick one of the shorter books of the New Testament. Read the whole book every day this week. God will point out something new each time.

"God's word is alive and working and is shaper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined, to the center of our joints and bones. And it judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts." (Hebrews 4:12)

The Deal with Digestion

I’m sure you read about digestion in third grade. My friend had this electronic book about digestion. It featured a picture of the digestive system. If you touched the stylus to a certain part of the picture, it would say what that does and then give a sound effect. Yeah. We thought it was so cool to make the book say “rectum” followed by a fart noise. I justify this by saying I was little and bored. Not a good combination. But stay with me; this is important.
According to High-Tech Productions, it takes about 12 hours for food to digest completely. That means your burger lunch is likely still with you. That seems like a long time, doesn’t it? I mean, for 12 hours, there’s a bunch of rotting food in your guts? That’s gross…but important. I don’t think I have to explain why.
My point? It takes time to digest your food. You can’t just shove it down and leave it at that. What do you do to digest your food?
▪ Recognize your human need for food (or, rather, get hungry).
▪ Acquire the food (make that junk food).
▪ Pray over the food (as in: “Dear God, bless this bag of Cheetos.”)
▪ Eat the food (like a pig).
▪ Chew the food (some people skip this part).
▪ Keep it with you (at your waist).
▪ Remember how good the food was (and look for more food).
▪ Get more food.
▪ Share the food (if you’re in a giving mood).
▪ Swallow the food (unless it’s vegetables; in that case, just spit them out).
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into eating food – a lot more than you think. It’s complex. It’s good. We want more. We NEED more. It’s necessary for life. Not everyone has it, but everyone wants it.
The same goes for God’s Word. It’s complex. It’s good. We want more. We NEED more. It’s necessary for a fulfilled life. It GIVES life! Not everyone has it, but everyone wants it. It’s amazing; it’s fulfilling! Without it, we are empty. Without it, we are dead. It nourishes us. It prepares us for our day.
You need time to digest the words of the Bible. You can’t just skim through it and then jump up to call your friend. You have to meditate on it, memorize it, think about it, share it. You have to live and breathe God’s Word. Just like you can tell someone eats very little (or way too much), people should be able to tell that you are filled with God’s wisdom! It’s not just an eat-and-run. It’s not fast food. You need to:
▪ Recognize your human need for God’s Word.
▪ Acquire God’s Word (it’s not junk food!).
▪ Pray that God will speak to you through the Bible.
▪ Read the Bible.
▪ Think about the passage and find out what God is trying to tell you. “How can you apply this to your life?”
▪ Repeat.
▪ Memorize Scripture so you’ll be prepared for nearly everything.
▪ Take time to remember and reflect on all God has shown you through His Word.
▪ Spend more time with God, reading His Word and living it out.
▪ Share God’s Word with everyone around you!

JOURNAL JOTS:
1. Are you really taking time to digest your spiritual food?
2. What has been keeping you from doing this? OR if you have been “digesting” your spiritual food, what has led you to do so?
3. What are the benefits of actually meditating and digesting God’s Word? What are the drawbacks of simply reading the Bible but not “digesting” it?

Hebrews 12

First day of my SOAP reading. I read Hebrews 12 -- following Jesus' example, God as a Father, careful living. Read Hebrews 12, write your own notes and read mine. Let's compare and see what we've learned!

v1-3: I am surrounded by people who love me and are strong Christians. I should join them in their work for God. I should take out of my life anyhing that makes me sin. When people are jerks, I should follow Jesus' example. Even when he suffered daily from the accusations of mean people, Jesus was strong and firm. He never stopped working for God even when things got tough. He made a lasting impression -- one that's lasted over 2,000 years!
v4-11: God is my real father. he is disciplining, teaching, and training me to be more like Him, the person He created me to be: a beautiful, strong, courageous, kind person with a servant's heart.
v12-29: I should be careful how I live. When I'm weak, I must make myself strong again. I need to stay on the right path, the one that leads to God, so I will be strengthened. I should live in peace with everyone (that's hard!). I should live free from sin, becauses sin separates me from God. I need to be careful and listen when God speaks, because His Word is important to me. I am thankful that I am made strong in the Lord and that God's kingdom -- which I am a part of -- can never be destroyed or shaken.

S.O.A.P.

"I'm doing this new thing," Maddy said excitedly, holding her Bible. "It's a Bible study."

"Cool," I said. That's a cute Bible. "What's so special about it?"

"We read through the New Testament in a year. But instead of rushing through, we soak it up. I really like it. Then there's the SOAP."

"Soap?"

"Yeah, SOAP. Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. It really helps keep you on track. That's how I do my devotions."

Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer

I'm going to try it. My devotions -- if that's what you want to call them -- are, well, lacking. I've gotten into reading the New Testament and underlining all the important parts, but I don't pray about it. And when I do, it's not sincere. Or at least I don't feel sincere. And I never, ever apply it to my life. It's hard for me to admit, but this is how I'm feeling right now.
I think with the SOAP acronym, I'll be able to focus. I'll have four things to do and I won't skip a single one. To you it may seem like checking things off a list, but I think it's what will work for me.

I encourage you to try this. We can do it together! And of course I'll share with you my Scripture readings, my observations, how I'm living it out, and my prayers. This could be really cool. Let's do this!

{And, if you want to try it for yourself, tell me all about your devotions! Let me know what you read and what you felt about it in the comments or the "Be a Voice" chatbox on your left.

Eyes on the {Real} Prize

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." – Psalm 90:1-2

This is one of the verses I’m memorizing for a Bible Bee I’m participating in. I have to basically memorize the whole Bible. I know I can get pretty deep every now and then, but let’s face it – that’s a huge task! While there is a…um…cash prize for the winner, I’m trying not to get wrapped up in the money aspect and how many verses I can memorize in a day. It’s extremely difficult for me, because I want to just blow through all the verses and not give a care about what they say. Yet it forfeits the purpose.

Eyes on the {Real} Prize
I’m trying to keep my goal on God, not the cash prize, not the number of verses I blurt out, not my competition. I want my focus to be solely on God, and then – the cool part? – I can’t lose. Even if I don’t get the money and the trip to D.C., (although my joy may be of a slightly lower degree at first, let’s be honest), by the end of September I’ll be coming away with an amazing experience and the Truth to guide me.

Now I Know
I’ll be prepared wherever I go, "for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
When I’m seeking God, "surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6).
I know that, by carrying the Truth with me, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:11) because "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105).
I know it’s important that I study the Bible because "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us" (John 1:14) and because "whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life"(John 5:24).
Now I know that "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).