School's Out

School's out for the summer, but never stop being a student.

There has been a phrase stuck in the back of my mind lately and it is this: Become a student of the Word of God!

Student is defined by Webster as: 1. Scholar: one who attends a school 2. One who studies: an attentive and systematic observer

We've all been students and have attended school at one time or another. So we need to be one who studies. To study means (Webster):
1. a state of contemplation 2. application of the mental faculties (that means our minds!) to the acquisition of knowledge.

The definition goes on and on with some very intriguing words like: careful examination, intent, and something attracting close attention.

Now, I don't know about you but if I were reading this, the word that would pop into my head would be TIME! Who has the TIME?! My heart has been convicted about whether or not I truly KNOW the Word of God. Not just for the sake of being able to quote Scripture but to get to KNOW my Father in heaven and what it is that He desires for me. To spend time with THE One who loves me more than anyone on this earth. I would like to encourage each of you, in your "busyness" to take the time to first say a prayer, a short one, asking God to speak to your heart as you read just one verse. Ask Him to make a word jump out at you. And take a day to think about the verse or just the one word, mull it over. Allow it to sink in. The next day, read the same verse, again praying before anything is read. Don't feel like you have to rush onto another verse. Go on to the next verse when you are ready.

If you feel you have more TIME, then use it! And I would encourage those of you who DO have that time to reach out to others that you know that DON'T have that TIME and speak the words of TRUTH that have encouraged your heart to them.

If you don't know where to begin, here are a few verses as suggestions:
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (I know that is more than one verse but you can spend a few weeks with these!)
Ephesians 5:1
Philippians 2:3
Colossians 3:2
Colossians 3:17
Psalm 68:19
Psalm 55:22

Sue Mercer is a wife, mother of 5 and women's ministry leader at her church. Sue has a heart for women to experience deep, Biblical fellowship with Jesus Christ and each other. She and her husband, Matt, graduated from the Colony of Mercy and Women of Character programs at America's Keswick in 2002.