Write It For Yourself

“When he takes the throne of his kingdom,
he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law,
taken from that of the priests, who are Levites.
It is to be with him,
and he is to read it all the days of his life,
so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God
and follow carefully
all the words of this Law and these decrees…”
Deuteronomy 17:18-19

 There is indeed something powerful about actually writing out the words of the Bible.  As I write, greater understanding comes.  The Holy Spirit uses this time of slowing down to illuminate truth often overlooked.  Each phrase…each word…is examined, pondered, savored.

This requirement for the king of Israel was to mark the beginning of his reign.  It would serve to remind him to submit to God and to uphold God’s law above all.

While we may never ascend to a throne literally, we do usher in new chapters and seasons of life: going off to college, a new job, a promotion, a new ministry, an engagement, wedding, a new baby.  What better way to celebrate than to ask God to provide a special passage to write out in honor of that new season and perhaps even commit to memory.

Each day is also a new beginning.  Writing out a verse in a journal is a daily reminder that today is a gift from God and is to be lived for God.

The writing-it-out wasn’t just an end in itself. The King was also to read it all the days of his life. The Bible is not a “once and done” book.  A friend may recommend a book to us and we respond, “I’ve read it.”  But we never get to the “I’ve-read-it-so-don’t-need-to” place with the Bible.  New experiences and seasons of life bring new shades of meaning, new application, and opportunity for new commitment, conviction, and renewal. God’s Word is truly “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12)

And the result of all this writing and reading?  It’s found right there at the end of verse Deuteronomy 17:19:

1.  Reverence
2. Obedience

I’m grateful it says we will learn to revere God. I want to – I need to – grow in this area.  I want God to reveal more of what that looks like lived out in my life. Our journey of faith finds us growing in our awe of Him.  A good first-month-of-the-year prayer:  To know Him better, love Him more, and worship Him more fully in December than in January.

And then comes the obedience part.  The Bible isn’t just about leading us to conclusions – it is a call to action.  Each passage we read can prompt the “So what?” question.  It leads us to check in with God and ask, “How do I live this out?”

Praying this week finds all us writing and reading and then revering and obeying!

Photo attribution: http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/12/27/bible-by-hand-copying-king-james-word-for-word/