Great Reflection from The Word Among Us
Today's meditation from The Word Among Us highlights the importance of praying with Scripture. It was very well written and inspirational.
Here it is:
“Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear… . Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Mark 4:23)
Look at how closely Mark connected Jesus’ promise of abundance with two exhortations to pay close attention to the way we hear him. By linking these sayings, Mark is telling us that we will be able to hold fast to all that Jesus has given as we take his words seriously. Or to put it negatively, Mark is saying, “Continually grow in your understanding of Jesus, or you may lose what you have.” The “measure we give” is the way we pay attention to Jesus’ words. The “measure we get” has to do with the freedom and life we receive when we hear and follow Jesus.
How can you make sure you are letting Jesus’ words sink into you? One way is to set aside a regular time to study the Scriptures. You might study a particular word like “grace” or “hope.” You may want to research the background of a favorite passage or look at cross-references to other passages in Scripture. Regularly studying God’s word in this way—even once a week—can help open our minds to its fullness and richness.
At the same time, God wants us to learn how to ponder Scripture prayerfully every day. He wants us to quiet ourselves and slowly turn just one or two verses over in our minds so that we can hear him speaking to our hearts.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to teach us and speak to us. We can trust that as our Advocate and Counselor, he will be with us every time we open the Bible. As we plunge in, he will bring the words to life for us. He will unveil their mysteries and show us how they apply to our own lives. He will set a fire in our hearts so that we long to share his words with other people as well. Best of all, he will give us the rewards of his presence, comfort, and direction.
“Lord, speak your words of life to me. I want to give you a full measure of myself. I also look forward to the measure you are waiting to give back to me.”
Here it is:
“Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear… . Take care what you hear. The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (Mark 4:23)
Look at how closely Mark connected Jesus’ promise of abundance with two exhortations to pay close attention to the way we hear him. By linking these sayings, Mark is telling us that we will be able to hold fast to all that Jesus has given as we take his words seriously. Or to put it negatively, Mark is saying, “Continually grow in your understanding of Jesus, or you may lose what you have.” The “measure we give” is the way we pay attention to Jesus’ words. The “measure we get” has to do with the freedom and life we receive when we hear and follow Jesus.
How can you make sure you are letting Jesus’ words sink into you? One way is to set aside a regular time to study the Scriptures. You might study a particular word like “grace” or “hope.” You may want to research the background of a favorite passage or look at cross-references to other passages in Scripture. Regularly studying God’s word in this way—even once a week—can help open our minds to its fullness and richness.
At the same time, God wants us to learn how to ponder Scripture prayerfully every day. He wants us to quiet ourselves and slowly turn just one or two verses over in our minds so that we can hear him speaking to our hearts.
This may sound like a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to teach us and speak to us. We can trust that as our Advocate and Counselor, he will be with us every time we open the Bible. As we plunge in, he will bring the words to life for us. He will unveil their mysteries and show us how they apply to our own lives. He will set a fire in our hearts so that we long to share his words with other people as well. Best of all, he will give us the rewards of his presence, comfort, and direction.
“Lord, speak your words of life to me. I want to give you a full measure of myself. I also look forward to the measure you are waiting to give back to me.”
