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The topic Martin gave me was: Refreshed by God: Through study and reflection, reading and writing, including journaling.
That is hardly fair, is it? That is a huge topic. Plus, he gave everyone else a Bible passage to work from but he didn’t give me a passage. I had to do my own work. What does the Bible say about study, reflection, reading, writing, journaling?
I pondered that list and asked, “What is the common factor that links all of these things? Why has Martin put these together under one heading? Is the common factor writing? No. Some of them do include writing but reading might not. Reflection might or might not. Is it words? Maybe. Is it thinking? Maybe.
In the end, I settled on “Slow down. Think. Listen.”
Slow down. All of these activities require time. We must give time to our relationship with God. Our relationship with God cannot be rushed. Slow down. Be still and know that I am God.
Think. They are all about using our brains – one way or another. They are about going beyond the superficial; digging a little deeper. There are gems to be found if we dig. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Love the Lord your God with all your mind.
Listen because all of these activities can help us hear God speak. I would say there is no point to any of them unless it is about hearing God.
I jokingly complained about this impossible topic but actually, I love study, reflection, reading, writing, journaling. The benefits are enormous. There is nothing quite like hearing God speak, or the joy of discovering new things that expand our understanding of God and deepen our relationship with Him. For example…
Two years ago, I took study leave and spent seven weeks in Israel. It was a wonderful experience.
Before I went, I did a lot of research into the sites of biblical significance. As I researched, I built a website with information about a large number of sites, divided into the different regions, with lots of links to YouTube videos etc.. There is also information about the culture and language and history, and about travelling in Israel. I have continued to add to that since I have been home. That was before going.
While there, each day I wrote a blog with photos. A chunk of each day was spent reflecting and writing. I could have been doing other things. I could have been seeing more. Why give a chunk of each day to blogging? Because I wanted to remember. Have you had a profound thought – maybe even the sense that God was revealing something – but later not been able to remember what it was? In effect, my blog was my journal. Journaling is like keeping a diary but with an emphasis on reflecting – reflecting on the day and what God is teaching.
Another reason for giving it time was that I wanted to understand and get the maximum learning out of this experience. I wanted to dig a bit deeper and hear more from God. Sometimes the reflecting meant I had to do more research just so as to understand better.
A third reason for blogging was that others could know what I was doing and could, hopefully, glean something from my experiences for themselves. Study and reflection, reading and writing, journaling do benefit us but we also have a responsibility to pass on what God has given to us so that others can benefit. Freely you have received; freely give (Matthew 10:8).
After I got back, I made an ebook for my grandchildren with some of my photos and information about my experiences and questions for their reflection. It is like a daily devotional. What is the significance of this place or this event? What is God saying? I have continued developing the website about Israel. I have also given several talks about my trip. Each of those required more study and reflection and research. But each time the learning has blessed me.
Why do all that? The value of going to Israel was multiplied many times over by the research, reflecting, reading, writing and blogging/journaling. So much is gained by slowing down, thinking and listening.
Israel is one example, but I love researching all sorts of topics and producing resources. I have a lot of stuff online. If you are interested, ask me about it.
Generally, the motivation is that I want to understand something. Giving it time; thinking, digging, reading other people’s insights and opinions; writing it down; seeing if I can make sense of it, not only enlarges my thinking but clarifies my thinking. What do I really believe? Have I got my head around this? Do I understand what God says about this? Are there areas that I do not understand or that I have misunderstood? I have a website called A Christian’s Guide To Homosexuality. Clearly that is a controversial topic but one that the church has to grapple with. I wanted to be informed and understand it. Writing forced me to deal with hard questions and organise my thoughts. Might others benefit from my study? I hope so but I did it primarily because I want to understand. Our thoughts can be ill-formed and fuzzy until we write them down.
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord replied, “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets, so that the herald may run with it.
God had spoken to Habakkuk but he was to “write it down and make it plain”. Writing down clarifies the thoughts swirling in our heads. In this case, specifically so that it might be passed on clearly – so that the herald could take that message out.
Really, all of the Bible is a revelation from God, written down – written down so that it is clear and objective and can be passed on faithfully. There are many instructions in the Bible to write it down. Moses and the prophets were constantly told, “Write this down. Write this down. Write this down.” Twelve times in Revelation, John was instructed to write down what God was revealing.
For a period of my life, my daily Bible reading consisted of reading a passage and then writing about it. I might paraphrase it. Putting a passage into our own words forces us to first understand what is being said. I might identify key themes or important teaching. But one of the most valuable things is simply to ask questions. What does this mean? I do not understand it. Why include that detail? How does this fit with this other passage? What is God saying to me? What do I need to learn and do differently?
I would just write and often I would feel that God had given me new insights or had spoken to me. That takes time. That is a slow way to have your quiet time with God but hearing God speak does take time.
There have been times too when I might have written a letter to God or written down a conversation with God. It would sometimes be surprising how God would seem to speak as he guided my thoughts.
Reading, obviously, can be a rich source of growth as we are exposed to other people’s insights and experiences. God speaks through other people if we give it time and we listen.
But, my experience is of little significance unless this is also biblical. What does the Bible teach us about study and reflection, reading and writing and journaling? Jesus is our model. Did He read and write and study and journal? We have only one instance of Jesus writing. He wrote on the ground when the adulterous woman was brought to Him. And we are not even told what He wrote, so that is not much help. One of the remarkable things about Jesus is that he didn’t leave a written record of His life and teaching. Wouldn’t it have been better if He had? Is writing not really important for followers of Jesus?
The obvious answer, of course, is that Jesus intentionally trained up those who would write it down. For His followers, writing it down was vitally important.
Obviously, Jesus could write and He could read. He had a profound knowledge of the scriptures. At twelve years old, He sat and listened to the teachers in the temple. He listened; He learnt; He reflected; He asked questions. He had been there for three days: listening, reflecting, asking. Not only that, everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers (Luke 2:47). His questions were great but His answers were also astounding. Even as a child, He had thought about things and learned. His whole ministry reflected deep understanding and great wisdom. His teaching and His interactions with people and His response to challenges and His responses to situations, all reveal great wisdom that must have come from taking time, thinking and listening.
“Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?” Why did Jesus have to be in His Father’s house? Not just to admire the architecture. Undoubtedly, He enjoyed being in the presence of God but what we are specifically told is that this was a time of questions and listening and learning.
We are called to be like Jesus. He is the model we constantly seek to emulate. We also must be in our Father’s house. We too need to slow down, think, listen, read, study, reflect. If we want to be effective in helping others understand, in interacting with people, in responding to questions and situations, we also need that wisdom that comes only as we slow down and think and listen.
Two other things in this passage are relevant: Mary treasured all of these things in her heart (v.51). She did not just forget this incident. She valued it and pondered it and meditated on it. Undoubtedly, it gave her understanding of who this child of hers was.
Secondly, Jesus went home and increased in wisdom. His 12-year-old wisdom was amazing but He continued to gain wisdom.
What other Bible passages focus on study, reflection, reading, writing, journaling? I struggled to identify one but there are lots of others that touch on them and stress their value for us.
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Ezra was devoted to studying, observing and teaching the word of God. That is a fantastic example for us: study it, do it, pass it on.
Luke, before writing his gospel, carefully investigated everything before writing an orderly account so that Theophilus might know the certainty of the things he had been taught (Luke 1:3-4). Careful study; thinking about what it all means and the desire to pass it on so that others could benefit.
Acts 10:19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him…
Interesting! It was while Peter was reflecting on what God had showed him that the Holy Spirit spoke. God spoke through the vision but there was more. Thinking gave the Holy Spirit an opportunity to speak.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
This is about being approved by God. Do you want to be approved by God? “Do your best” implies effort. Being a worker implies effort. God calls us to put time and energy into knowing how to correctly handle His word. Hear God. Know what He is saying. Know what the truth of His word is. Use it rightly.
This sort of thing is right up my alley, but not everybody is a reader or a writer or given to reflection. No, but all of us are called to slow down, think and listen to God. Our relationship with God requires it. For some of us it might be more of a discipline. Maybe find a way that works for you, but when we give time to our relationship with God, there is the joy of hearing God speak, discovering and learning. But there is also the joy of being Christ-like in how we live because we have gained godly wisdom.
What will you do to slow down and give time to your relationship with God – time that allows you to think and listen? What will you do?