Why Your Bible Reading Should Slow Down in Summer
We have a most exciting date planned this week –that man and I. We’ve already been to Hooper’s Nursery to scout out the perfect tree for our back yard. Now we just need a free evening to dig a hole (“we” meaning “him”) and plant our 25th anniversary celebratory tree. We’ve chosen one with red leaves that will grow to 35 feet. Thank you to our daughter and son-in-law for this thoughtful gift!
And we’ll make sure we get a hose out there, to trickle water around the root ball for at least an hour, three or four times per week this summer.
I was daydreaming about watching this new tree grow over the years, and I thought of David’s words in Psalm 1:1,2-3(NIV).
Blessed is the man…who delights in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Slow trickle.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
If you go to a nursery and drop serious coin on a tree, you do not want its leaves to wither.
So I think we should have tree-ish thoughts and let God’s word soak in slowly this summer. Maybe these warm months aren’t the time for a full-hose Bible study.
Personally, I’m reading through the book of John right now, one little section every morning. I try to put myself into the particular encounter with Jesus, and I come away with one phrase to drip into my soul for the day. Like this morning I read about the guards who were supposed to grab Jesus and bring him to the chief priests and Pharisees, but the guards came back empty handed. (John 7:45-46) When asked why they came back without Jesus, they simply said, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.”
I let it drip.
No one ever spoke the way this man does.
No one ever spoke the way this man does.
No one ever spoke the way this man does.
No one ever spoke the way this man does.
Not a lot of Bible study –but a watering one. I could feel my roots extending toward that truth.
No one has ever spoken to me the way Jesus has.
Mmm. Drip system Bible study can do a lot of work this summer, the results of which people will see, when we have become strong, un-withering, productive people.
So give the faucet just a quarter turn.
Thank you for this oh so important concept. I try to grab a thought, a small portion of scripture when I read or study and let it “drip”, as you say, into my soul. Sometimes it is a prayer for myself; oftentimes it is in times of intercession for others that the “drops” of scripture come from Jesus.
Also, Happy Anniversary! We are also celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary this month. We have plans later this year, but the tree idea is a wonderful one. It is an Ebenezer of sorts, a tree of commemoration of God’s help, provision, and faithful lovingkindness to us along this marriage path.
Many blessings,
Dede Eller, fellow dripper
Well, a happy anniversary to you, too!! We are enjoying our new little tree.
Thanks for the gentle reminder. Your “Blameless” message is soaking through…Blessings.
That’s nice to hear. Thanks, Penny.