Notes From My Bible

I wrote this 11 years ago! It was my first real attempt at putting my thoughts to paper for publication. Because the message is timeless, it has been on my mind recently.  Hope you enjoy.

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Many of us take notes in our Bibles as part of our personal time, during a seminar or listening to a pastor or teacher. The idea for this article came to me as I thought about the wealth of information contained in our personal notes and how these notes when re-read at various points of our lives still offer inspiration and insight. 

I decided to write "Notes From My Bible" for two reasons:

1. To encourage others to continue to do this (or to start) and to show how much knowledge is gained from snippets. 
2. The article is written in a light-hearted tone and is intended to whet the appetite.

Recently, I've been searching the scriptures more and in doing this I realize how important my Bible is to me. As a matter of fact, though I am married and my husband and I share many things, I must admit I get touchy when he uses my Bible. You see, besides the 66 books in the Bible, I have verses that are precious to me underlined, I've color-coded passages that moved me at various points of my life and I've taken notes from thousands of pastors and seminars. And so my Bible has become a wellspring of information (as it should be) not only for the inspired words but also as a source of reflection, as a source of answered prayer, and as a source of constant realization that I always need God. I never get too old to learn his lesson. Here are excerpts from some of the various notes in my Bible and what they've meant to me:

• If the _ _ _ _ _ fits, you're the wrong size! (world goes into the blank) I was in my late teens when I heard this, and I remember thinking I don't ever want the world to fit. But this one line had more impact on me than a sermon. It's powerful. 

• I will counsel you with mine eye! Psalm 32:8 …I was attending a women's bible study and the speaker said that she uses this verse with her children to reinforce the fact that she can look at them a certain way and they will know that they're in trouble. Of course, she said this with a twinkle in her eye!

• Children need pray and love. One of the best gift parents give their children is the gift of prayer. 

• If there is no mess, then there is no message! If there is no test, then there is no testimony! 

• 8/1/88 Prayer List – every time I see this, it reminds me that certain things are timeless. I still pray the same things today! 

Career direction – I need to feel that I'm doing something important and fulfilling
Families – improved relationships
A place to live (I was about to get married!)
Yearning to know the Word better

• 5/7/89 – The more I suffer the stronger I become….we faint not. 2 Corinthians 4:7-18. Ultimately we are victorious. Everything that happens is for our good. 

• The Lord builds self-esteem! Self-esteem is an on/off thing for me. I've reached the stage of my life where I know and am assured that He finds me worthy and that shoots any low self-esteem issues through the roof. 

• Impossible verses – Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, Jeremiah 32:17,27 – Verses that strengthen our faith. 

• The number of times the word, WORD appears in Psalm 119. I then go on to list a page full of examples like "thy WORD is a lamp unto my feet or a light unto my path (v105)," and "If the WORD is hidden in our hearts it becomes harder to sin (v11)". You'd be amazed at how powerful and far-reaching God's Word is once you go through this exercise. 

• An acronym for studying God's Word based on 2 Timothy 2:15 

Systematically
Tenaciously – persistently
Unfeignedly – genuine and sincere
Diligently – steady, earnest and energetic
Yield – If we study the Word of God, we yield to the Spirit naturally.

• Finding your personal gifts. Yet another acronym which offers guidance on determining your gifts, for we've all been given a gift. 

C – competence; what are you good at? Have others encouraged you in this area?
L – Love; what do I love doing? Discover the issues that concern you.
U – understanding yourself and what God is doing in your life.
E – experience; what has life prepared you for?
S – situation; where am I situated? Where do I spend my time?

These are only some of the snippets found on any white space in my Bible. I've run out of pages and now use a separate binder to take notes as the Holy Spirit moves me.

Do you take notes in your Bible? What's the best note you've ever written? How do you remember a great sermon? Please share in the comments.