Bouncing Ideas

Scripture:  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.  Psalm 119: 105

 

I am not sure if you have ever tried to memorize something or not.  Perhaps it was lines to a play or scripture or maybe a poem or speech.  I am sure you discovered that as it became more familiar to you, you no longer needed to say it in order, you had triggers that helped you pick up right in the middle and just spew forth the next part.  However, at first you had to spoon feed each part and take extra care to start at the beginning and speak slowly and methodically.

I have had to memorize lines for various things and I had a teacher once show me that bouncing a tennis ball helped to keep a good cadence and also distracted you just enough to help remove the pauses and help to really nail down the words in sequence.  With tons of practice, I found the lines come flying out at just the right time.

This morning as I filed through my memory lines bouncing a ball with my friends, it helped ease the pain of the memorizing process.  I later found myself on my personal blog page reading previous posts as part of my Good Friday devotion time.  I read a blog from ten years ago that I didn’t even remember writing and my very own words pierced my heart!  It was like God Himself was speaking to me reminding me of His faithfulness over the last ten years of my life and beyond.

Why do we study scripture, journal and pray?  It isn’t for God’s benefit.  It is for our own.  It is like memorizing lines and knowing them by heart.  In desperate times those familiar stories and lines bounce back!!!  They spring into action in moments of both joy and sorrow, hopping up to remind us of God’s faithfulness and character. 

If you want to know God and His character you simply must practice!  Memorize things.  Write them down.  So that they are burned into your brain and branded on your heart.  When you need them most, they will spring up to support your faith and reinforce your hope in God’s great mercy and grace.

Leslie Stephens

Winchester, TN (by way of Wilmington, OH)

Prayer:  Almighty God, motivate me to study you more than anything else, so that I am familiar with all your ways and recognize the paths you would lead me down.  Amen.

Prayer Tip:  Walk and talk with God audibly.  Read scripture out loud as though it is a conversation with God.  Pause and see if the scripture you read is a response to your prayers.  God will remind you of His character and ways if you focus.