Ancient Words

I use several different ways of daily Bible reading that I enter into at various times. For the most part I choose to study a book at a time, in depth, with the help of commentary and devotional reading. Last year I was really enjoyed studying the book of Hebrews, with the help of Andrew Murray. Sometimes it will take me a whole week to get through a chapter.
At other times I like to study a subject and trace a theme through the Bible, again with study helps and these days the internet.

But every few years of so I read the whole Bible in one year, using a NIV Bible that divides up the passages fro you into an OT reading, a NT reading and either a Psalm or some verses from Proverbs. Because it is so easy to get behind when I do this I rarely use commentaries to explain what the passages mean. It's not that I switch off my mind but this is a time when I just love it to immerse myself in the great Redemption story, let my heart be touched and allow God to speak to my Spirit.

And as I have done this again in this last year I have been really blessed by the way God has drawn my attention to certain verses and I believe the Spirit whispered to me, this is for you. Sometimes it has been an encouragement, sometimes good advice and sometimes it has simply been that I have identified with the writer and used his words to express my own feelings towards the Lord.

Anyway after all that preamble here are some of the verses that leapt from the pages during the last two weeks in Portugal.

Eccles 5:1-2 "Guard you steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen to him rather than offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know that they do wrong. God is in heaven and you are on earth so let your words be few."

Eccles 9:4 "Calmness can lay great errors to rest."

Song of Solomon 7:10 "I belong to my lover and his desire is for me."

Song of Solomon 8:6 Place a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm for love is as strong as death."

Psalm 101:6 "My eyes will be on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me, he whose walk is blameless will minister to me."

2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those hearts that are fully committed to him."

1 Corinthians 15:10 "By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace to me was not without effect."

Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart
Holy words of faith handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O heed the faithful words of Christ
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God's own heart
O let the ancient words impart

(by Lynn DeShazo)

God bless

Carol