Saturday, February 18, 2012

A Personal Journal Entry

This has been a long time in coming. I have allowed too many excuses to keep me from posting a blog in a while, but there are too many promises left unfulfilled to let this go another day. So, This is the post I promised to do in my last one about journaling. I picked a journal entry that I did before writing that post so that it will be a genuine journal entry and not just something that I wrote with this in mind. I want you to see what a journal entry looks like for me. With that in mind I'm just going to give you exactly what is in my journal (of course I will correct any misspellings and grammatical errors that I see) there is no fluff here. Please note that I have journal entries that are much more personal and intimate but I don't feel that it is appropriate to share these. Ok, enough with qualifications! Let's just get on with the journal entry all ready. The actual journal entries are in italics.

You will remember that in my last blog I mentioned that I use the SOAP method. This first section is the "S" section and is where I write the scripture verse that stood out to me and where I felt that God was speaking to me. It also has a big circled "S" in the margin.

I Chronicles 28:9 - And you my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

This next section is the "O" section and is where I write my observations about the verse that I wrote down and has a big circled "O" in the margin. NOTE: the verse is always taken in context with all the surrounding scripture. Taking Scripture out of context is a recipe for disaster.


First, I see here that God searches & knows every motive. Even when my heart deceives me & my motives are not as pure as I think they are, God knows the truth. God cannot be tricked or manipulated. He knows my true intention. Next, is a great promise. God says, "Seek Me!" At the same time He says, "You will find Me, when you seek Me." Combining the two I see that God says, "If you seek Me; (not what I can do for you, not My blessing on your agenda, not My intervention when you're in trouble but,) when you seek ME with a heart set on finding Me & Me alone, you will find Me and have a relationship with the One True Living God."


The third section is the "A" section. This is where I write the Application. This is how I am applying what God is saying, to my life. The key here is to be specific. Vague generalities as I said in my previous blog is how we take the Word of God and diminish it's power in our lives. 


Let me jump on a soap box here for a second if you will. (If you don't want to hear my little rabbit trail just skip to the next paragraph) This point about applying God's Word brings up a very important subject. The spiritual maturity of the average American church attender / Christian is at best, sub par. I don't mean this as an insult or anything, I just mean that the Word of God is supposed cut deep into our hearts; surgically remove the character flaws, sin, and junk that is stunting our growth; and transform us into mature Christ followers. But this just does not happen for many Christians like it is supposed to. I feel that the reason for this is a lack of application. We go to church and God speaks through the message and what do we do? If it's really good then we might walk up front in response to the altar call. If it's pretty good then we might raise our hand in response to the call. Most of the time though, we just walk out the door and start talking about where we're going for lunch; life just resets and off we go. My point is that none of these responses are what the voice of God deserves. Somehow, church has become a place where we go to have our consciences eased and our souls massaged. The questions we all need to be asking is how am I going to apply what God is saying to my life or circumstances? What am I going to change in response to what God said to me? What is in my life that is keeping me from becoming what God is calling me to become? How should I pray in response to God's voice? & What step of faith should I take in order to follow God's Word? If we aren't asking at least one or two of these questions or something like them every time we read our Bibles and attend church, we are not applying the Word of God to our lives and therefore are not being transformed. I know that someone will read this and say something like, "I don't hear the voice of God in my church." or, "God doesn't speak to me at our church." Let me just ask you a few questions to help you reveal the source of the problem. Are you having consistent times with God during the week in which God is speaking to you and you are responding to His voice in obedience? During your daily devotions and prayer, are you lifting your Pastor and the leadership of your church up in prayer and asking God to protect them, speak to them, and use them mightily? On your way to church, is your car filled with heart felt worship and intercession in an attempt to soften your heart and prepare yourself to hear God's voice? While you are at church, are you fully engaged in worship, shutting out every distraction and giving God unreserved adoration? Are you, to the best of your ability, living a life of obedience to God's Word and the things that He has specifically said to you? If you can answer "yes" to all of these questions then it might be that you need to find a new church, but chances are that the problem is the condition of your heart and not your pastor or church. Ok, so let me make my point so we can get back to what you thought you were here to read. Ask yourself this question and be honest with yourself about the answer. (If you can't be honest with anyone else, at least be honest with yourself): Is my relationship with God stronger today than it was six months or a year ago? In other words, am I closer to God today than I have ever been in my life? If the honest answer is no then apply the Word of God to your life and pursue Him with all your heart.


Allright back to the journal entry, section "A" (big circled "A" in the margin):


I need to check my motives. I wonder if I am truly seeking God or if I am seeking His aid in some personal agenda. I'm committing to pray through this for the rest of the week. For the next five days, I'm going to ask God to reveal the motives of my heart.


The last section is the "P" section and is the part where I wrap it all up with prayer and yes there is a big circled "P" in the margin (a little obsessive I know but hey it works for me).


Lord, just as David prayed, I ask now that You search my heart. Reveal to me the areas of my heart that are not fully surrendered to You. Show me where my motive is impure. Expose the areas of my heart that are hidden in darkness. I repent of a distracted heart that seeks You and what You can do for me, and not You alone. I renew my commitment to seek You God, You and You alone.   Amen.


There it is. As you can see, It's not very long (if you take all my ramblings and clarifications out). It doesn't take a long time. And it's not difficult at all. Also, please note that I don't always use all four sections. Sometimes I write the scripture and jump straight to the prayer. With all that said, it is a very powerful tool that, with practice, can help you hear God's voice and grow closer to Him. That is after all, the goal isn't? My objective in writing this blog is to help you in your relationship with God. If you get nothing else out of this, please know this: God speaks to His children. Not occasionally, not if you jump through a specific set of hoops, He is speaking to you right now and is always speaking to you. And your spiritual growth is not dependent upon some great feat accomplished by extreme effort and sacrifice on your part. Just pursue a relationship with God; share with Him what's really on your heart; respond to His pursuit of you and the sound of His voice; and submit to Him in obedience. If you will do that, You will find yourself moving closer and closer to Him and recognizing His voice more and more. Happy journaling everyone.

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