Secret of a burning heart

[StaceyLovesJesus]

𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧

My default setting is studying the Bible. I love excavating its truths. Studying scripture 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.

But there is another way to approach the Word 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗧 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘?

This approach to the Word involves

𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

It’s slowing down, way down,

and LINGERING.

Taking small bites. One passage, or even one verse, CHEWING it and SAVORING it, carefully REFLECTING on the words and images. #meditation

Oh, familiarity will whisper, "𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦......" (seeking to convince me to skim the sacred passage).

But I mustn’t.

Familiarity will suggest, "𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺,” (seeking to coax my heart to disengage).

But I mustn’t.

I must let the Spirit of God enable me to be

fully present,
focused and
expectant,

Taking me beyond the veil of familiarity,

past its dulling effects,

past the same-old, same-old,

past mere tradition,

past Sunday School answers learned by rote,

past religious thinking,

and even vain assumptions --

to BEHOLD hidden treasures of Christ within the written Word.

It's as though — in the stillness — a holy dew settles upon my heart

as the Spirit of God brings me to a place of morning-fresh awe and wonder,

𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿…

The One who ravishes my heart with His words of love,

The One who seizes me by the power of His great affection,

The One who makes all things new, alive.

And, by and by, here I sense my heart becoming more devoted to Him.

“𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦!" (Psalm 119:18; 34:8; Exodus 33:18)

~ Ruth Brentner