Post By: Angela Parlin
We’ve been working on folding shirts a new way, in my two younger kids’ rooms, because the old way, Mom’s way, was not working.
Our new fold is really a cross between rolling and folding. Instead of stacking shirts flat, we place them in their drawers almost upright. The kids are able to see which shirt they’re pulling out before they move anything around, and so the rest of the drawer stays neat. I like neat. 🙂
Our littlest is five, a great age for being a helper. This new fold is something he does well, and he’s excited because he does it all by himself. He often says, “You HAVE TO come see this, Mom! My shirts are so good!”
I gasp and tell him, “I’ve never seen anything so neat (especially in this room)!” And he nods his head, proudly.
We get a little excited around here about new systems for keeping things neat and tidy and well-managed. But there are some things which were never meant to be kept in a drawer, out of the way, folded up tight, and managed.
Psalm 119:30 says, The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
I wonder, what is this unfolding, and how often do we approach God’s Word this way?
Do you come to this ancient book, ready to unfold the words and let them unfold upon you?
Do you sit long enough to allow layer upon layer to open before your eyes,
lighting the path of your life? Lighting the way to life?
I love to study God’s Word, yet I’m convicted. Sometimes I allow myself to get swept up in the busyness of life, much of that busyness my own making. Then I approach God’s Word as a super-quick fill-up. I know I need it to get through the days, but I don’t always spend the time.
I don’t always approach the Word the way I’d approach a person I love.
I come rushed, asking for what I need, and please, God, drop it on me fast, because I also need to be out the door in a minute.
I hope you don’t hear any condemnation here. I believe God honors any minute we give Him, just as He honors the hours. But sometimes I see a pattern in me, and I wonder if you see the same.
Sometimes I forget this book is a treasure waiting to be unfolded, waiting to give us light.
His Word is alive and divides me in two. It lifts my eyes beyond everything I can see. It lifts my eyes to heaven. It grows my love for Jesus, for others, and even my love for me–as His work of art, His chosen, His beloved, His sister.
Do you unfold His words, and let them unfold upon you?
To unfold means to open. That’s a pretty straightforward starting place. We open His Word and let His words enter into our hearts.
To unfold is also to reveal, which is something the Lord does for us. He unfolds His words upon us, reminding us of truth or revealing truth in a new way.
Finally, to unfold is to interpret or expound, which takes time and the effort to dig in.
God’s Word is a treasure, and any effort we spend unfolding it, manifests in our lives as light and understanding and wisdom.
Lord, Your Word is perfect, and it refreshes our souls. Your Word is trustworthy, making us wise. Your Word is right, giving joy to our hearts. Your Word is radiant, giving light to our eyes. Your Word is righteous and pure. It is firm and endures forever. Your words are more precious than gold. Help us to treasure them, to treasure You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. {adapted from Psalm 19}
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Angela Parlin is Dan’s wife and “Mom” to 3 rowdy boys and 1 sweet girl. In addition to spending time with friends and family, she loves to read and write, spend days at the beach, watch romantic comedies, and organize closets. But most of all, she loves Jesus and writes to call attention to the beauty of life in Christ, even when that life collaborates with chaos. Join her at www.angelaparlin.com, Eyes on Jesus.