Practice Essential Hearing

Good morning Ladies & Gentlemen!
It's a rainy morning here in NYC...the kind of morning that makes you want to stay in bed and listen to the raindrops until you drift back to sleep!! But, as a disciplined Gamers, I am up early so we can study together...

We are in Proverbs 7, verses 2 & 3, NLTse:

2- "Obey my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes"

3- "Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart"

In the first two posts of the New Year we have established: a) The Word of God is primary in the life of a believer b) faith comes by hearing - and hearing (repeatedly) the Word; and c) Therefore, hearing is essential!!

Today I would like to follow the lead of verses 2 & 3 and expound on how to make the Word primary and a way to practice essential hearing...

Verse 2 tells us that we should guard the instructions found in Proverbs like our own eyes. I don't think further discussion is necessary about the importance of our eyes! ( "see" my point?)

Verse 3 tells us to "tie them around our finger as a reminder...writing them deep in our heart"!

In an very early post I shared with you that I set "Proverbs checks" on my Blackberry and when it alerts me, I take a few minutes to review my bold print verses. The sound of the alert grabs me from whatever I'm doing, and brings me back to the fact that "the Word is primary". Usually what also happens is I'm in the middle of work, dealing with "stuff" & when I read the Word it creates a soothing and encouraging moment that helps me to refocus on what is important!!!

The Word of God is primary in our lives and while we continue to study it; I wanted to revisit implementing techniques to "write it deep in our hearts". When you set regular reminders for yourself, for anything; soon the mind begins to anticipate the activity because we have "trained the brain". It becomes an autogenetic response (a habit). To develop a good relationship with the Word, we need to make our reading [hearing] of it a habit!!

Build disciplines in your life that make this "habit" part of your life. Tie reminders around your fingers, notepads, PDAs, Blackberrys, iPhones, Outlook tasks, Day Timers...you get the idea right??

Stay in the Game!!!