17Turn your ear and hear the words of the wise; focus your mind on my knowledge.
18It will be pleasant if you keep the words in you, if you have them ready on your lips.
19So that your trust will be in the LORD, I’m teaching you today—yes, you.
Reflection
When I think about all the things I’ve learned in my lifetime – countless hours spent in books, classrooms, seminars, and on-line courses – it’s obvious to me that I’ve forgotten more than I’ve retained. I think that’s the nature of most of our learning. It unfortunately goes in one ear and out the other. We tend to forget names, dates, facts and formulas unless we use them often enough for them to become deeply embedded in our minds.
And yet somehow, I took enough chemistry that to this day, I can recall and work the formula PV=nRT. I don’t really know why, except that it wormed its way into the recesses of my brain.
We call the kind of knowledge that sticks with us like that “internalized learning.” Internalized points to the idea that it’s something we carry around all the time. We don’t have to look it up. It’s just there, inside us, ready whenever we need it.
Why does the Church stress the importance of reading and studying the Bible? Because we need to internalize the wisdom God has for us in the scriptures. This means living with the Bible day in and day out, reading and re-reading until the lessons, language, and images of scripture become the words that guide and focus our lives.
That’s how faith needs to work. When our backs are against the wall is no time to go googling the answers to our spiritual questions. God’s word needs to always be ready on our lips and in our hearts.
by Joe Monahan
For Pondering and Prayer
In the spirit of Proverbs, I’ll quote another old adage: “The time to fix the roof is when the sun’s shining.” In other words, don’t wait for a downpour!
So how can you invest more deeply in your study of the Word? Have you ever tried reading through the whole Bible? If not, maybe 2025 is your year! If that seems too daunting, maybe start with the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). I guarantee you’ll be surprised by what God does in you through a 10-minute-a-day reading habit.
Prayer: Lord, help us today to internalize the messages of scripture. Help us to know and feel deeply the message of your great love for us, and to trust your promises to care for us always. Amen.
