Hi friend! Welcome to episode 25 of Tending Your Soul Podcast! I’m Mariel and I’m so glad to have you joining me in the garden today as autumn begins her whispering over my summer garden. The tomato plants are drying out and the jalapenos stopped producing, but God is still here ready to tend our soul like I tend this garden.
As we are slowly walking through Genesis 1 together, I want to invite you to open your bible to this life giving chapter, or just lean in and listen as we get into it together.
We are tending our soul using the TEND method of Bible study and the T is for take time to pray. So would you join me in prayer?
Creator God, thank you that you welcome us to yourself. You invite us to draw near as you draw near to us. Open our eyes to see wonderful things in your word today. Amen.
In the TEND method, the next letter is E for examine the scripture. When we do this, we slow down and linger over the words of the text, paying attention to the subjects, verb tenses and images. Let’s see the what is happening in our mind’s eye and pay attention to details.
Today we are in Genesis 1:3-5
“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”
As we examine these verses we see the action verbs of said, saw, separated and called. This action of God stands out to me that He was active in every way. God says for the light to exist then he sees that light then he separates it from the darkness, which is fascinating. Then he names it Day and Night. God remains so involved in every detail doesn’t he?
Now as we move to the N in TEND we’re going to notice the lesson.
For me the lesson that really stands out is that God speaks. I mean He is the creator of all things. He alone existed in this moment and He alone was there to hear. Yet God spoke. What did that sound like, I wonder?
God speaks then through the rest of the chapter of creation too doesn’t he?
He speaks the Word of God and creation occurs. His word is powerful and active and defining.
So if God is speaking and He is still speaking then the logical question is “am I listening?”
God is revealing who He is through His Word, He is revealing His actions and His character. How am I listening and noticing that?
The D in TEND is for Do what it says. So how will we respond to the lesson God is teaching us here?
Since God is speaking how then will I position myself to listen to His Word?
I came to know God in my early 20s from an atheistic mindset. I didn’t believe He existed let alone could speak, act or be involved in my life. But the first time I opened a Bible and read through the book of Genesis, God opened my veiled eyes and I surrendered my life to Christ. I knew that His realness meant I needed a Savior from my sins and He sent Jesus, the Living Word of God to pay my debt.
Even in a time of my life when I didn’t WANT to listen to God through His Word, He spoke. The bible promises that the Word of God never returns void but accomplishes His purposes. And boy did it!!
So now as a believer and follower of Jesus with the Holy Spirit of God living inside of me, I am drawn to the Word and seek to live in the rhythm of tending the Word into my soul on a regular basis through the tend method, through scripture memorizing, through singing praise hymns, through praying scripture.
His word IS alive and active and sharper than any double edged sword.
What about for you, friend? How will you listen to the Word today? God is speaking His life giving Word, how will you tend your soul by it and let God press its truth into your soul today?
One practical way is to write a memory verse on an index card or post it note to keep with you or stick to an obvious place. I have a verse on my bathroom mirror and often keep a spiral of verses in my car to continually remind my soul of truth and let His Word wash over me. Let’s ask Him to wash us by His life giving Word today.
Lord we thank you that your word is life giving, refreshing, stabilizing and pure. Would you wash it over each one of us and refresh us by it. Compel us to find ways to tend it into our soul and give us the desire to continually lean into it. Amen.
Oh friend, don’t let the noise of the world keep you from hearing the Word of God. It can be so easy to lean our ear towards that which does not redeem.
If you need guidance for tending your soul by the Word I encourage you to get my free downloadable guide at marieldavenport.com. Let’s start cultivating the rhythm of time in the Word so we might be people that bear much fruit to the father’s glory.
Until next time, keep tending your soul by the Word.
