Sometimes you have to let things sit before they sink in.
Sometimes….you have to let ideas simmer – before they come to full flavor.
And more times than not – it’s the steeping that melds things together well.
Us…..with all our quick fixes and fast dinners and hurried demeanor’s….we’re drawn to the instant. And we’re repulsed by the process.
But faith…it’s not a fly by night thing.
It’s not something that can grow into something grand- through one moon’s rising.
No. To flourish…..faith needs to be fed.
And so…..we feast. We take in scripture bites at a time.
And this….it can lead to a faith that is rounded out and full. And I want that! A skeptic like me….oh…..I crave that: a sure, seasoned, certain faith.
But the knowing and the growing in Christ – they shant be hurried.
This kind of thing can’t be tapped along or tinkered with just every now and then.
Faith – it has to fester in fertile soil, friends.
It has to be nourished, practiced, processed.
Slowly. Deliberately. Seriously.
But what does this look like?
Consider….Lectio Devina.
This ancient method for reading the Bible – it calls us to a different brand of quiet. It asks us to abandon the hustle. It doesn’t allow us to bring in our worldly hurriedness to the studying of scripture.
Unfortunately…I’m known for the jostle….the hustle and bustle and spin. And so my tendency is to approach study….this same way. My notion is to fling open the Bible and rush through my chapter for the morning…pray a quick ‘Help me, God’ and go on to the next pressing thing.
But this…it doesn’t leave room for the Spirit to speak.
And you and I…..we need the Spirit to speak.
So while this isn’t the ‘be all end all’ method – perhaps we should try it for a bit. A season maybe? I just know something good will spring forth.
What exactly is Lectio Devina? It’s Latin for divine reading. I would define it poorly so please….I implore you….check out this post from Bible Gateway. It’s a short and superb explanation. But from what I’ve novicly gathered myself (and from what I’m starting to practice) this method of study is made up of four parts:
1) Lectio (read)
2) Meditatio (meditation)
3) Oratio (prayer)
4) Contemplatio (contemplation)
*Lectio: To slowly read. To put down the urge to rush through. To really roll around in the text.
*Meditatio: To hush ourselves. To set aside our tendency to force fruit. To concentrate simply on Him and what He wants to do.
*Oratio: To lift up what He lays on our hearts. To hand over. To converse with the Creator.
*Contemplatio: To hear Him. To be still. To have the Spirit minister to us. To grow in the knowledge of Christ.
All good. All needed. Worth a try.
While a fast verse here and there can be such an encouragement…and while a ‘read through the Bible in a year‘ program can be super beneficial – that’s not what Lectio Devina is about. Rather….it urges us to resist the longing to move quickly….it encourages us to grapple with a small portion of scripture during each session. Because it’s easier to digest modestly-sized morsels than it is to digest heaping mountains.
So…pray about it. Do some research. And perhaps you’ll join me?
If this has spurred you on to pursue the Lord more deeply – in any way – then this post’s purpose has been fulfilled….participant in the above method or not.
Oh, may the Lord meet us in the slow and steady seeking.
