SPRUCESample

Memory is a fickle thing.

Did you hear the one about the old retired couple who went to the doctor because they kept forgetting things? The doctor declared them both healthy and suggested they should start writing things down to help them remember. At home that night, while they sat together watching a movie, the wife asked the husband if he would get her a bowl of ice cream.

"No problem," he said getting up.

"Maybe you should write it down," said the wife, "because I would also like strawberries on it."

"I can remember that," he said indignantly. "Ice cream with strawberries."

"Yes, and could you put whipped cream on it, too?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure you don't want to write all that down?"

"No, I will remember," he said, heading to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later the old man returned and handed his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She looked at him with frustration and said, "Where is my toast."

Memory is fickle indeed - and not just for elderly brains.

We are people prone to forget - especially spiritual truths that don't always have the most obvious relevance to us. Perhaps this is why God's first instruction to Habakkuk was about recall.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 The Lord gave me this answer: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you so that it can be read at a glance. Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true.

Like Habakkuk, when we thoughtfully and prayerfully read the God-breathed Scriptures, the Spirit of God brings them to life, speaking to our spirit with growing understanding. Everything He reveals is important today, and will be important in a time that is "not yet."

God does not want us to behold and forget.

James 1:22-25 NLT But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

CONSIDER THE MEANING:

• What does James say is the goal of beholding God's Word?
• From where does the blessing come?
• Why do you think it is so easy to forget what you have read from the Scriptures?
• How would you describe your ability to keep in your mind what you have read from God's Word day to day?

S.P.R.U.C.E

Hearing from God requires focusing on what He says.

U - UNDERLINE what you discover about God.

A. W. Tozer said, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." It is more important than what we do or what we say because it directly corresponds to our right understanding of God Almighty. That in turn, will correspond to our life of obedience.

When Habakkuk begins his conversation with God, the Lord responds in a way that gives him a greater understanding of the nature and character of Himself. What began as a search for answers about his circumstances led him to a truer view of God.

Habakkuk 1:12-13O Lord my God, my holy One, you who are eternal—
surely you do not plan to wipe us out?
O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us,
to punish us for our many sins.
But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil.

No wonder God told him to "write down clearly" what he was shown so he could read it at a glance. As circumstances begin to unfold that are our of Habakkuk's control, the most important thing he would remember is what he discovered about the character of God: holy, eternal, and pure. Such a God can be trusted - a crucial reality when facing uncertainty.

Habakkuk would discover other things that will be important to remember as He leaned into the voice of God in His word, but he wisely began by focusing on God Himself. Whenever we read God's word, ask, "What does this show me about God?" Understanding this is our first goal when we step into God's presence in His Word.

A helpful way to distinguish that "at a glance" is to "write down clearly" by using a specific marking that you will recognize as related to God. So UNDERLINE what God reveals to you about Himself. From Habakkuk 1:12-13, you could underline the attributes God reveals about Himself: holy, eternal, and pure. You could underline that He is our Rock. Notice how easily those attributes stand out from the passage when they are highlighted, helping you remember and recall what you have heard.

As you begin your journey learning to hear from God as He speaks through His Word, you will discover that God does not always speak directly to the question at the top of your mind, but He will always show something about Himself as you thoughtfully and prayerfully seek Him. That is the most important thing you can discover.

To glean truths about God is GOD SPEAKING TO YOU through His Spirit, giving you understanding!