Hear the Message
Author: Janet Pierce (Tennessee, US)
In my devotional time, my habit has always been to read the Bible passage quietly to myself. But recently I found myself needing to reread each passage several times. I began to realise that I was just allowing my eyes to scan across the page. I was not really paying attention to what I read and I definitely was not hearing its message. So I began to read the scripture verses out loud. But as I did, I noticed that I would inadvertently change a word, skip a word or even insert a word. I realised that I must have skipped even more words when reading silently. No wonder I’d had trouble understanding the message before!
Reading aloud also gives me the opportunity to add expression to the scripture verses. It allows me to hear and feel the emotions of the passage. It has become easier to understand the message because I am able to hear God’s word to me.
We may have the opportunity to hear God’s word many times during the week: during worship services and Bible studies, in the songs we sing or when we read our daily Bible passages. When we hear and begin to understand God’s message, our faith surely grows stronger.
Prayer: Dear God, open our eyes to read your word. Open our ears to hear your voice. Open our hearts to accept your love. Amen