**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, M.H. Elrich. A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
While it is said, “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”
-Hebrews 3:15 KJV
“I get it!” one of my students complained. “Why do we have to learn this again?”
I smiled. “First, not everyone understands this concept. Second, it never hurts to be reminded. Third, you may know the definition, but can you apply it to harder examples?”
The student didn’t respond to this as I proceeded to remind them of the definitions of irony and then give them much harder examples from the text we were reading. As they struggled to differentiate between the different types with selections from classic literature, I reminded them that this is why I review the information so often.
When I read today’s verse, the student’s reaction was exactly my own: why do we have to go over this again, Lord? Didn’t I just write a devotion on this topic? But then he reminded me of my experience and why it is so important to review information. The primary reason? Because we are so forgetful.
I don’t know about you, but in the busyness of this life, I tend to forget what I did last week, let alone remember what I did last year. It is only when I slow down or hear something familiar that my memory is triggered. It’s like when you visit the ice cream parlor that you went to as a child. Everything comes back in a flood, and you can’t help but wonder: was the ice cream always that small?
I think that’s why God incorporated reminders in Scripture. He knew that we are a forgetful people, and he wanted us to remember the lessons we’ve learned. He didn’t want us to make the same mistakes as the Israelites. They had become stubborn, forgetting the law of the Lord and his miracles. Eventually, it was so bad that they dug out the Law and reread it for the first time in years, causing great sorrow among the people (2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34).
Before you or I judge the Israelites too harshly, consider how often we let the distraction of social media or the entertainment of Netflix capture our attention over the study of God’s Word. When you wake up in the morning, do you check your feed or read your devotional? I know that I often struggle to focus on my devotional or Bible Study when I’m tired, turning to the mindless scroll rather than the engagement of God’s Word. I think that when we do this, we can become complacent and sometimes, hard-hearted. Let’s change this, starting today.
Dear Lord, please help me to focus more on you and less on other things. In a world of distractions, let me be honed by your Word. Help me to remember everything you have been teaching me so that I may grow. In Your Son’s Name, Amen.
I needed this. I am guilty of this. Thank you for sharing.
I noticed that the Sat Sip prayers always end with “in Your Sons name, why not in Jesus name? It is very unusual for me to read or state this in this way. I look forward to your explanation. Thank you and have a fab day and beyond!