Camping Out
I spent most of my childhood summers camping out. I loved playing in the fields and walking in the mountains. Sitting around campfires at night, fishing in the mornings and afternoons swimming were just part of a normal weekend of camping. We didn't mind that there was no TV or radio. There was no such thing as video games (although, I think "pong" had come out during that time). We hung around the camp ground, made new friends and just had fun.
We didn't go far from our campsite as we lived in Alaska at the time and we always had to be aware of the wildlife around us. For the most part, life was simple and even thought it does involve some work, we were able to just hang out and relax.
Sometimes, I find myself 'camping out' in the word of God. What I mean is, that I will stay in one chapter or with one verse for several days, weeks or months depending on what God is teaching me. I have been camping out in Colossians chapter 3 for almost a week now.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Col. 3:16 NIV
Jesus is the word of God made flesh (John 1:14) and when we spend time reading our Bibles, we are actually spending time with Him. It is where we get to know Him. We learn about who He is and how He lives and loves by studying the Bible.
In order to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, we have to spend time reading our Bibles and then taking the next step of actually thinking about what we have read. What does it mean? How does this look in my life? What do I need to change? These are just a few of the questions we can ask ourselves to help us keep the Word on our mind.
Since this is not a timed race, we can actually take our time and camp out in sections of the Bible. I once spend several months just in Romans 12. It is amazing what you will find below the surface when you take the time to camp out in the Word.
Most people when they see the word 'rich' equate it to having lots of stuff. But God reminds us that true wealth is not based on how many things we have but on how much of Him we have. Through His Word, God, has opened up all the resources of heaven for us to use on this earth but if we only skim through our Bibles and don't take the time to understand and use what has been given to us, we will live little lives with big handicaps.
I encourage you today to not only read your Bible but to take your time and let the word of Christ dwell in you.
Memorize a verse and repeat it through out your day. Aggressively seek new ways to incorporate what you have read into your life.
Make the time to camp out with Jesus a priority in your life.
Heidirn
We didn't go far from our campsite as we lived in Alaska at the time and we always had to be aware of the wildlife around us. For the most part, life was simple and even thought it does involve some work, we were able to just hang out and relax.
Sometimes, I find myself 'camping out' in the word of God. What I mean is, that I will stay in one chapter or with one verse for several days, weeks or months depending on what God is teaching me. I have been camping out in Colossians chapter 3 for almost a week now.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Col. 3:16 NIV
Jesus is the word of God made flesh (John 1:14) and when we spend time reading our Bibles, we are actually spending time with Him. It is where we get to know Him. We learn about who He is and how He lives and loves by studying the Bible.
In order to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly, we have to spend time reading our Bibles and then taking the next step of actually thinking about what we have read. What does it mean? How does this look in my life? What do I need to change? These are just a few of the questions we can ask ourselves to help us keep the Word on our mind.
Since this is not a timed race, we can actually take our time and camp out in sections of the Bible. I once spend several months just in Romans 12. It is amazing what you will find below the surface when you take the time to camp out in the Word.
Most people when they see the word 'rich' equate it to having lots of stuff. But God reminds us that true wealth is not based on how many things we have but on how much of Him we have. Through His Word, God, has opened up all the resources of heaven for us to use on this earth but if we only skim through our Bibles and don't take the time to understand and use what has been given to us, we will live little lives with big handicaps.
I encourage you today to not only read your Bible but to take your time and let the word of Christ dwell in you.
Memorize a verse and repeat it through out your day. Aggressively seek new ways to incorporate what you have read into your life.
Make the time to camp out with Jesus a priority in your life.
Heidirn
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