Psalm 19

The S.O.A.P. method of Bible Journaling is a great method of guidance to remind you of all the steps to a rounded out conversation with God.  S.O.A.P. is an acronym for

Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

Scripture:

Today, the daily office of the Episcopal Church listed Psalm 50 [59,60] or 19, 46; Genesis 39:1-23; 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15; and Mark 2:1-12. Upon suggestion of a friend, I opted to reflect on Psalm 19 today.

Observation:

In reading the Psalm in three different translations, I struggled to pull out a single word that drew my attention.   This whole song really spoke to my heart and I found myself fixed upon verse 14... "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."  

Application:

As I read through the passage, and it described what is perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true... things more desirable than gold and sweeter than honey, I was reminded of the recent journaling I did on Philippians 4:8.  In Philippians, Paul reminds us to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable and excellent and worthy of praise.  Paul is essentially telling disciples of Christ to fix our thoughts on the things that David describes in Psalm 19... God's instructions, decrees, commandments, commands, reverence, and laws for these things are perfect, trustworthy, right, clear, pure, true, desirable and sweet. 

The words of the 14th verse of this Psalm pull on my heartstrings as this is often my prayer... that others hear God's voice... not mine.  I pray that my thoughts are fixed upon the things that God wants me to notice and ponder... that my focus is fixed upon His will instead of my own.  The first priest I encountered in the Episcopal Church, Fr. Theodore Atwood, often began his sermon by reciting these words... and they have stuck with me for 17 years.  

During the Bible Journaling class that I taught today, I walked students through some basics of lettering and font... using the font to evoke the feeling that the word gives to me; so I did my rough draft on the white board today. 

 As the day went on, I imagined what illustration that I wanted to add to the illustrated words that I had already meditated on.  Here is what the page in my journaling Bible looks like...

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the beauty of today... for your presence in each moment of the day and for your guidance and gentle nudges for me to join you in this journey.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Amen.

Have you tried this method?  What are your thoughts?  What method or template are you drawn to in your own study?  Share your thoughts and responses in the comments below!

Peace my friends,

~Sara

Philippians 4:1-9

Today, I opened my Forward: Day by Day book and saw that Philippians 4:8 was highlighted and reflected on by this month's writer... I squealed in joy as I realized I've been wanting to journal about this particular verse for weeks!  Philippians is one of my favorite books of the Bible... it's so uplifting and reminds us of the basic, simple day-to-day things that God asks of us through his disciple, Paul. Chapter 4 of Philippians, in particular, is full of encouragement!

I encourage you to meditate on these verses and journal today... spend some quality time with Jesus as he speaks to your heart.  Begin with a prayer, asking for the Holy Spirit to sit with you... to be present with you... and to help you hear the words that God has for you today.  Ask for understanding, comfort, encouragement, and peace... I promise, you will not be disappointed!

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S (Scripture): Philippians 4:1-9
O (Observation): key words - pray. peace. rejoice. think.
                            key phrase - settle your disagreement; Fix your thoughts upon
A (Application): My heart has been heavy this week for a particular situation in which animosity, selfishness, personal desire, anger, and vengeance has been the focus.  Yesterday, the message I got from God was to be quiet and wait for HIM to move.  Today, the message I heard LOUD and CLEAR is that I can't let MY focus be distracted from HIS peace.  In giving attention to this situation, it has made me worry and feel anxious and angry and sad.  While it isn't a sin to feel these things, it is a waste of time.  God reminded me today to TRUST HIM in times of trial... to not worry but to bring my worries to Him through prayer and trust that He is at work.  One of the phrases that caught my attention was "settle your disagreement" in verse 2.  Why is this important?  It's important to settle disagreements because when we remain at odds with others, we retain anger and pain and countless negative feelings that bring us down - in turn, this blocks the light of Christ from shining forth through us.  Instead, Paul tells us to think about those things that are TRUE, HONORABLE, PURE, LOVELY, COMMENDABLE, EXCELLENT, AND WORTHY OF PRAISE because these are the things that bring us peace through Christ Jesus.  Bad things happen... disagreements are normal... and more often than not, we tend to focus our attention on the negative things that are happening in the forefront of our lives and we forget to notice the good things that are happening around us at the same time.  We allow these disagreements, tragedies, and perceived threats to our happiness to place blinders on our eyes, hiding the good things in our lives.  Paul tells us to think about these things because evil does NOT win... and it doesn't deserve the spotlight that we tend to put it in.  When we allow these negative things to overcome our focus on the positive things around us... the things that we VALUE... we allow the devil to steal our joy and peace that is rightfully ours through Jesus.
P (Prayer): Lord, help me to remember to leave my worries at your feet and trust you to take care of me.  Help me, rather, to see the good... the pure, the honorable, the true, the lovely, the commendable, the excellent, and the things that are worthy of praise so that I can have the peace that is promised to me in you.  Shed light, oh Lord, on the areas of my life that I allow to overcome me with negativity so that I can put those things in their proper place - out of focus.  I do not want to forget or ignore the negative things that are happening, but I want to keep them in perspective with the GOOD things in my life.  Help me to model this example to others so that we, as your body, can glorify your name in all that we do. Amen.

Until tomorrow...
Peace, my friends... ~Sara