I’m not a very observant person.
When we first moved into our house, there were two, six-foot flower boxes beside the walkway that leads up to our front door. For months, I passed by them daily.
Then one day I walked up to my front door and had this feeling something was different. Stepping inside, I asked my Mom if they changed anything in the front yard.
Apparently, my parents had removed those two flower boxes weeks before and I hadn’t even noticed.
Most of the time, my unobservant nature is simply a minor inconvenience. Not noticing when flower boxes disappear just leads to some lighthearted teasing from my family.
It becomes a great hindrance though when it starts creeping into my spiritual life.
God’s Word was not meant for us to nibble at in the morning and then forget about.
Scripture is the primary way we grow in our knowledge and love for Jesus. It is daily bread, living water, a source of hope and strength. As such, it must fill more than just 10 minutes of our time in the morning. It must become our meditation both day and night.
With this conviction, I wrote a scripture verse on a sticky note a couple of years ago and posted it on my nightstand. I intended to fill my mind with God’s truth as soon as I woke up.
The first morning when my alarm went off, I saw that verse and was encouraged to delight in Jesus.
The next day when my alarm went off, I slid out of bed without even seeing the sticky note or the verse written on it. It’s like the bright yellow paper faded into the white paint it was stuck too.
Maybe you can relate to my problem. How many times do you come to the end of your day and feel like “something is off” only to realize the Word of God hasn’t been on your mind since your morning quiet time?
But what do we do when those well-intentioned sticky notes turn invisible as soon as we post them?
Here are five ways I’ve learned to fill my life with scripture.
1. Listen to an Audio Bible
Especially on mornings when I don’t have time to sit and read the Bible, I love listening to God’s Word on my phone while doing mindless activities.
One neat thing about listening to an audio Bible is, it’s actually the way much of scripture was originally written to be consumed. Colossians, for example, contains this note, “when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.” (4:16) Because paper was expensive and many people were illiterate, the original audience listened as one person read God’s Word aloud.
2. Listen to Music Filled with Truth
Most of us already listen to music. This is an opportunity to fill our day with God’s Word.
You don’t have to listen to songs that are word-for-word scripture to do this (although those are great too). Many songs take the truth of the Bible and beautifully combine that truth with music.
Some great examples of this are Shane and Shane’s “Psalms” album, or City Alight’s music.
Have you ever considered how many songs you know the lyrics to? We remember words that are combined with music. So listen to music that contains Biblical truth.
3. Memorize Scripture
Before I started memorizing scripture it felt a bit overwhelming. I didn’t think I had a great memory and it sounded like a big time commitment.
But I discovered ways to memorize scripture that don’t take a lot of time and don’t require a great memory either. I simply wrote the verses I wanted to learn on note cards that I kept in my bathroom. Every morning I pulled them out and memorized while I did my makeup.
Memorizing scripture is hands down the best way to fill your life with God’s Word. It enables you to meditate on truth even when you don’t have access to a physical Bible or Bible app.
4. Make it Your Phone Wallpaper
This one can easily fall into the category of the invisible sticky note. For some reason though, I tend to notice scripture on the lock screen of my phone more than I do on my wall or nightstand.
Our phones are always with us and we look at them dozens of times throughout the day. When you put a verse on your lock screen, you are guaranteed to see it more often during your day than you would on your nightstand.
Also, wallpaper is incredibly easy to change. If it starts to become invisible, just change it to something new.
5. Surround Yourself With People Who Love God’s Word
Sometimes it’s just really hard to keep our eyes fixed on Christ and our minds thinking through the lens of scripture. We need the body of Christ to come around us and remind us daily of God’s truth.
Hebrews says, “Exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (3:13)
Do you have people in your life who encourage you with Biblical truth?
If not, actively seek friends who fit this description and ask God to bring them into your life.
Fill Your Life with Jesus
I know from personal experience that meditating on God’s Word day and night is not easy. Our forgetful nature, the spiritual battle we live in, and a hundred daily distractions seek to keep us from it.
However, it truly is the most wonderful thing we could meditate on because it leads us to Jesus. So get creative and find ways to fill your life with the words that will help you love Him more.