TAKING NOTES

Good morning to you on this blessed day!

I pray that you had a good night. I sure did! Except I had a weird dream this morning and then the phone woke me up. Dreams can be disheartening sometimes.

I read an article last night about taking notes. And specifically taking notes or jotting thoughts in our Bibles. It is one of those things that is pretty cool and very helpful but then I thought kind of sac-religious or so I thought. My thoughts were that it was defacing God's Word. Well, the article I read was talking about kind of leaving a legacy of notes, observations, and thoughts. Sort of like writing in a prayer journal and leaving it to your kids and they can read your thoughts and notes and prayers after you are gone. So, I was thinking if you kind of do the same thing in your Bible, then someday when your children have your Bible there are lots of tidbits of wisdom, etc. that you have left behind. And how cool is that? Very cool I would say.

I have highlighted some verses in my Bible but I haven't done much more than that. I have taken a few notes in it. Most of the time I have, used a notebook. One of the Bibles that I use is my daughters when she was in high school. She went away to college and took a different Bible with her and I asked if I could use hers. She said yes and there are lots of her notes in it so I am not sure I want to jot things in her Bible. I do have several Bibles of my own. I guess I should use my own grown-up Bible. This one of hers that I am using is actually a young teen Bible. But I really like it. It is really easy to understand the published study commentaries in this Bible and I just like it. But also maybe it makes me feel closer to her since she lives so far away.

Anyway, when we do write in the margins of our Bibles with our notes, observations, and thoughts, we can look back at them later and see how we have grown spiritually (or regressed). We can actually follow the twists and turns of our spiritual journey. 

In John 14:26, Jesus made a wonderful promise to His apostles. He said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to recall everything we have ever read or studied from God's word? Wouldn't it be great if the Holy Spirit taught us "all things" and brought to our "remembrance" the words of Christ?  

Well, taking notes can certainly help us with that. We are so blessed to have God's Word to read and study and meditate on and memorize and take notes of and on. If we lived in Bible days most likely we would not have had a Bible or scroll of God's Word. So His Word is a good thing. Let's use it!

But they deliberately forget that long ago by 

God’s word the heavens existed and the earth 

was formed out of water and by water. 

2 Peter 3:5

But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love 

is truly made complete in him. This is how 

we know we are in him:

1 John 2:5

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 

What about you? Are you a note-taker? Do you underline and highlight your Bible? I realize now that it is not a bad thing. The Bible does not say, "Do not write in the Bible, God's Word". So how can it be wrong. It also shows our interest and love of God's Word. And that is definitely not a bad thing.

Have a spectacular day!

Love in Christ,

Les (lesbear)