Surely, you are familiar with Willie Nelson’s hallmark song, “On The Road Again.” Even if you are not familiar with the song itself, when you hear it, you say to yourself, “That’s Willie Nelson singing.” His voice is so distinct, his style is his own, and he has been doing it for decades. He has actually played a whole in that old 1969 Martin N-20 he affectionately calls “Trigger.” Every guitar player will understand naming instruments just like some people name their cars or something else that is precious to them. But that is not exactly what I’m thinking about as I write this.
A few mornings ago, I heard my wife talking on her phone. I could tell by her long pauses and occasional laughter that she was either talking to one of her sisters, likely her older sister, or to her niece. Most weeks this will happen a time or two, and most of the time they talk for an hour or more. On this particular morning, with that Willie tune in my head for some reason, I said to myself, “On the phone again!” I almost laughed out loud, but then it came to me that this is part of a very important aspect of life.
Debbie’s family all live about 500 miles from us. We don’t travel a lot, so we see them “once in a blue moon” meaning once or twice a year. I know that when they get on the phone together they are going to talk about subjects that are important and stuff that does not matter at all. But what they say is not nearly as important as that they are saying it—to each other. Nothing in this world, or the world to come, is as important as relationships.
Every morning, after we pry our old bodies out of the bed, brush our teeth, and make our coffee and tea (I’m the tea drinker), we find our study place—hers in a comfy recliner beside our bed and mine in front of my computer in my office—to begin our day reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God. You might say “In The Word Again” because that is our habit and has been for decades. We can’t pick up the phone, dial some heavenly number, and say, “Good morning God, it’s me. How’s it shakin’?” I wouldn’t put it that way anyhow, but you now what I mean.
But I can hear his voice as clearly as if I was on the phone when I am reading the Bible and thinking about it. For the past couple of years I’ve been working on writing commentaries about Bible books—Philippians and Colossians, in particular. Someone asked me how I spent an entire year writing daily in the very short book of Philippians. It only has 4 chapters, 104 verses, 2,183 words. My answer is always, “When God is speaking, we should take our time listening.”
Just like Debbie’s conversations with her family on the phone, the time we spend in God’s Word is precious. It is illuminating. It is comforting. It is challenging. It is life-changing. I highly recommend it.
larrywaynesykes.com 