Write down what God is teaching you.
Are you distracted? We are inundated with information. We hop from app to app, website to email to Slack, TV to podcasts, all day. Amidst all the noise, we can lose sight of what's important to us. It's like asking for directions and getting hundreds of different answers for the best way. It's confusing, even disorienting.
Today, I want to give you a very simple, basic tool. It's so familiar that we've lost sight of its power. It's a practice that was initially designed for kings. It is a way of being loyal to God that can aid in spiritual formation.
This secret is hidden in an obscure passage in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 17:18-20, we find remarkable words that reveal how the king was expected to remain loyal to God:
"When the king is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes."
In ancient Israel, the king's influence on the entire nation was enormous. Writing out a copy of the Torah for himself was a significant investment of resources. Afterward, the king was to review his Torah scroll every day, so he could understand God's will and put it into practice.
By writing God's words down, the king would focus his heart and mind. It would take time, effort, and care to pay attention to the details of what God has said. As he wrote God's words on a scroll, he might consider if he was writing God's words with his life.
**So here's the royal secret: write down what God is teaching you.**
For most of human history, writing was a privilege for the rich and well-educated. It was reserved for kings! However, now that we can read and write, we have a new problem: too many distractions.
**There is spiritual power in writing.** Here are some benefits:
Consider each of our steps so far:
Imagine starting every week by listening to God and his word and writing down your priorities. Would that help you become a mature Christian?
**Our eighth step to God is to write down what God is teaching us.**
When the king is seated on his royal throne, he is to write a copy of this instruction for himself on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, he will not turn from this command to the right or the left, and he and his sons will continue reigning many years in Israel.
Looking back on the past week, where did I spend most of my leisure time? How have those activities helped or hindered my spiritual growth?
What's the difference between passively receiving information and actively writing down my thoughts?
What passage of Scripture could I write out to better understand it?
What's a complex or confusing question that I've been ignoring?
What is God inviting me to prioritize in this season of my life?
How could writing help me experience spiritual growth?
This week, write down at least one thing God is teaching you each day. It could be from Scripture, prayer, a conversation, or an observation. Review your entries at the end of the week and look for themes.
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