How do we read the Bible? Hand copy it!
"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 Levitical priests." Deuteronomy 17:18
When I shuffled into a little church in the middle of nowhere Indiana, I became a part of a community of believers that pursued the heart of the Father in some pretty unique ways. I'll always have a deep love for that church because of the things I learned about God in that space.
One of those things, was about how our physical posture is connected to our spiritual posture. Worship in the church I attended with my family before college looked pretty different, I'm not saying it was wrong, just different. At my Indiana church, people were falling on their knees in worship, reaching up to heaven with their hands, and expressing what was happening in their spirits with their postures. Some people would even take off their shoes during worship as a representation of being on Holy ground like in Exodus.
I honestly thought this was pretty weird, shout out to Jackson Wilcox for telling me to keep showing up anyways, and for later becoming my husband, how cool is God's plan? Anyways…
When we read the Bible we can do something with our physical postures to represent what's happening in our spirits. I'm a big fan of poetry, so I'm a lover of a good metaphor and I'm warning you now this might get a little metaphorical.
Hand copying scripture is as easy as it sounds, we take a passage and physically write it down. This accomplishes a couple of really important things, even though it might seem simple.
It makes us slow down. We have to read the passage multiple times as we write it out ourselves. As we slow down, it becomes meditative and we reflect on the words as we see them and feel them in our own hands. It can be one word, a phrase, or an entire passage. You don't have to be an artist, it can be scribbles on a page.
As the words make it onto paper, I also think it represents what is happening in our spirits. We are coming into agreement with the Word, writing it for ourselves, reminding our spirits of the truth, and taking some ownership. We are writing it out for ourselves, saying "yes," to what God is saying in His Word, and declaring it as true in partnership with Him.
When you try this practice, you leave with a tangible reminder of scripture that you can keep as you fill up a notebook or as a sticky note on your mirror, and the intangible is the time spent with the Lord meditating on who He is as you write His Word.
Whether it is writing one word or a whole passage, hand copying scripture takes my mind from my daydreams and distractions to focused attention on the Word of God.
Monday: 2 Corinthians 12:9
Wednesday: 1 John 2:27
Thursday: Hebrews 13:5
Friday: Matthew 10:20
Saturday: Genesis 2:7
Sunday: Luke 10:19
Journaling Prompts:
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What word or phrase stood out to you from the passage you wrote down? Why?
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How do you want the posture of your spirit to be aligned with the physical way you approach God's Word?
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What truth are you reminded of as you slow down and give focused attention to the Word?
Prayer:
Hey God, thank you for the gift of your Word and for your transformational power in our lives. Guide us as we write and meditate on your Word. Help our spirits to come into agreement with the words as we write them, to be full of belief and faith as we focus on what you have to say to us.
