Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
June 13, 2022
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17
14 But you must continue with the things you have learned and found convincing. You know who taught you. 15 Since childhood you have known the holy scriptures that help you to be wise in a way that leads to salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, 17 so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.
Good morning! Do good to all as you have been taught in the Scriptures
When we learn anything new, we often rely upon a manual or set of instructions. For years, I have taught others to play the piano. The first important step is to learn to read the music. Students start to learn the names of the lines and spaces. At first, they will stop and say the mnemonic for each note, but they soon learn to recognize some by sight without having to stop and go through the process. Sometimes, I would have students who wanted to write in the names of the notes to help them, but this idea would actually keep them from learning the names because they would no longer be looking at the notes but at the letters, they had written.
For those who are diligent, the names of the notes become known, and as they play their brain processes the knowledge without the student consciously calling out the notes. Otherwise, how could you ever learn to play songs with chords and multiple notes that come very quickly? For me, the notes on the page become an image through which my brain and my soul interpret the music which is expressed through my fingers. I can always go back and figure out a misplayed note through the naming process because that is how I was taught from the beginning. Those lessons, lovingly delivered, are part of me forever. The most wonderful part of music is that it speaks to me differently each time I return to a particular selection.
Learning about how to live a life in Christ resembles this process. We begin by reading Scripture and observing those mentors in our lives. Through the Holy Spirit, we begin to ingest the Words so that they become evident in how we live and interact with the world. Our beginning study of the Word sets the tone for how we will learn. It’s not about memorizing verses and reciting them for all who will listen. Reading Scripture is about learning to understand how God wants us to live.
Over time, there is much of what we learn in Scripture that we have internalized through our years of study, but just like music, it is about more than the Words, it is about the meaning. The Bible is a living document through which God’s message is revealed to the reader as they are ready to receive it. Daily study of scripture allows for learning what God has to say to us on multiple levels within infinite contexts. When we stumble or face adversity, it is helpful or even necessary to return to those passages through which we find comfort. The well-worn pages allow us to return to our God’s love and comfort as we have so many times before as each word enters into our soul and transforms us.
Loving and Gracious God, Thank You for loving us. You have blessed us with the ability to learn and understand. Thank you for leading us through our lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: The Bible is our instruction manual. Don’t forget to use it!
Engage in the Word of God! Pastor Liz
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