Today’s scripture: Luke 22:35-38 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Lynnette Pullen):
In the movie The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi, a martial arts expert, agrees to teach Daniel karate to help him survive a face off with his bullies in a local tournament. However, his training does not start off as Daniel thought it would.
Mr. Miyagi assigns him hours of laborious work like sanding the floor, painting his fence, and waxing cars, all the while making him promise not to ask questions. Mr. Miyagi instructs Daniel to complete these chores using very specific hand and arm movements, scolding him when he performs them incorrectly. After days of hard work and no apparent karate training, Daniel gets angry and begins to walk out. Mr. Miyagi sternly calls to Daniel and demands that he show him the hand movements for each chore. As the young man starts to demonstrate them, Mr. Miyagi begins to physically attack him. He yells out “Show me sand the floor! Paint the fence! Wax on! Wax off!” Instinctively, Daniel blocks each punch and kick, using the very same hand techniques he was instructed to use while doing his chores. Afterward, both are quiet, and Daniel stares at his hands finally understanding what Mr. Miyagi has taught him — how to protect himself.
I was never one to read the Bible for pleasure. That may sound terrible, but I have never been able to sit down and read it like a Danielle Steel book. I tend to read it in little chunks, for example, when I participate in a Bible study or after I hear a sermon that resonates with me. I have been doing that for years. One time, I tried to follow one of those “read the Bible in a year” schedules. I was off course by the second week in January. I have always felt so guilty about that.
Then one day, I started to go through some serious life situations. I was having trouble at work, with the kids, and with my family. I would pray to God out loud, and in my prayers, I started to recall stories or scriptures from the Bible. I didn’t know that I had memorized those scriptures. They seemed to come to my mind so naturally. Being able to recall those scriptures gave my prayers specificity, direction, and power. It really took my ability to pray to a higher level. Learning to pray using scriptures and drawing on the things I learned from the Bible taught me something really special. It taught me how to spiritually protect myself.
I prayed for my children, I prayed for guidance, I prayed for protection. I never in my life experienced such tangible results from prayer. Learning how to use God’s word in my prayer definitely advanced my ability to handle life. I felt, and still feel, spiritually safer and more secure now that I know how to protect myself and my family.
I now realize God was teaching me and arming me much like Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel. I didn’t quite understand how and why I felt led to study certain stories or listen to certain sermons. And to be honest, I would get a little irritated sometimes about the amount of studying I had to do for a Bible study! I now understand that God was preparing me for what was and is to come. Much like Daniel, I instinctively use these skills to protect myself against attacks.
Thought for the day: I praise you God and thank you for the use of your word to protect and guide us. Help us to learn in whatever way is most effective for us as individuals.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.