I Will Give Thanks

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart…

Psalm 9:1a (NIV)

I 

I will

I will give

I will give thanks

I will give thanks to

I will give thanks to You

I will give thanks to You, Lord

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart

Sometimes as I read a passage in the Bible. the words don’t seem to penetrate the soil of my heart. I read the physical words yet seem to gloss over the depth of them. The words aren’t meaningless; my attention to them has become shallow.

So, I reverse course. 

I savor each word. 

I let it roll over my tongue, saying it aloud. 

I ponder possible meanings. 

I listen to the Lord unfold truth as I let the word linger longer. 

Like a fine piece of chocolate, I let one word melt slowly in my mouth. 

By praying word-by-word, slow like swinging in a hammock, I slow down. 

The words seep down: trickle, drip, tumble.  

Ah. The Water of the Word drenches my heart afresh. 

What’s a verse or passage that you find yourself glossing over? 

How would it change things if you rocked it slowly in your mouth? Let it coat your throat? Watch it cover your heart with a fresh layer of awareness?

Try it. Let me know what happens.

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Featured images are courtesy of Artem Kniaz and Urip Dunker via Unsplash.