I will meditate on Your precepts And regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. – Psalm 119:15-16 NASB

I love reading the Bible one-on-one with a friend. Iron sharpens iron as we discuss our reading together.

In February a friend and I began the book of Romans and I tried something new. In preparation for our phone meeting together each week, INSTEAD OF JUST READING the portion of Scripture, I SCRIBED IT first!

In a separate notebook I would copy word-for-word the section of Scripture we’d be discussing. I discovered the act of COPYING a few verses doesn’t take that long, but the BENEFITS to me were surprising. My mind was forced to slow down and really meditate on each verse I wrote. At each word within the text I found myself asking questions about the audience and relevance to the topic. And if you’ve ever gone through a study guide or have been part of a small group discussion, you KNOW the key is asking good questions to direct your attention to the text being covered. Then on a separate page in the notebook, I kept a record of my thoughts and commentary on the passage I scribed.

I recommend SCRIBING as a study aid whether for yourself as you read the Word or when paired with another person for discussion. SLOW DOWN and MARINATE in God’s Word.

Keep yourself in God’s love,
Julie