Reading Aloud Blessings Abound

In his college years, one thing that God used to spark Matt's thirst for Christ, was seeing an actor perform the book of Mark from memory. The Word of God is powerful, sharp, piercing, and it left my man limping.

Last fall I greatly enjoyed Elisabeth Elliot’s great book “The Shaping of a Christian Family.” She mentioned how her mom (or grandmother?) used to tuck her kids in at night always reciting a passage of scripture... and in a week’s time, with no other great efforts needed, the passage was usually memorized. I figure that must be how a generation ahead of me could describe "growing up with the King James written on our hearts."

We were in the states for that season and around the same time we got to hear our pastor- the same great guy that pronounced us man and wife- preach from Rev 1. We were confronted by the clarity of verse 3: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time in near.”

How could we not seize this plain invitation to seep ourselves together in the eternally true blessing of God?

While visiting Maelee’s parents in South Carolina, they treated us with afternoon babysitting and we enjoyed a smoothie date in the sun and rambled possibilities and refined a plan for reading the Word together in our home. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that we have each been changed by the Word since then, with this daily engagement.

Our plan started off as twice a day, but this spring, being influenced by the Voskamp’s plan, we've started reading at every meal. Ann V. quoted Peter Kreeft, "praying is more important than eating because your soul is more important than your body." It sure is a sweet means of grace for us to indulge ourselves together in this blessing each time we gather at the table.

We pick a passage a week. Read it before we break the nightly fast, like the  Orthodox do their prayers, to physically remind us of our hunger and the Word’s satisfaction. Read it to finish lunch and dinner and wrap it all in prayer, reflecting on the truth and asking that God would make his word true in our lives.

Isaiah and Marian have decided that for these meal closing reads, the only place to be is on Daddy’s lap (or mama’s when I read). Gladness all around. I get to face this at the other end of the table:

The Word is getting in us this way... Isaiah is not an overly expressive boy and until recently has never been eager to pray aloud (so grateful for his buddy Hudson’s example a few weeks ago to spur him on in this!) But last week, our big boy prayed aloud at bedtime. His prayer was scripture that gotten into his little warrior heart: “Dear God, thank you that You are the mightiest warrior and thank you that your word is a sword and thanks for the helmet of salvation.” (followed by the regular mentions... bunk beds and bubble gum.) It made this mama’s heart full of gladness.

Thanks be to God for providing for us and inviting us to enjoy his good and perfect Word! May our souls drink deeply of this delight and may we be transformed to more of him as we take in his True Word.