God Speaks I Listen

 

I know you said to yourself….what in the world is Tanya talking about!   Has she gone too far?

Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.

My husband Rev. James A Nemley

My husband taught a powerful teaching this past Thursday and I prayed that people would take something home from the teaching. You know what I mean…that they would doggie bagged the word!

In the beginning the meaning of a doggie bag was that it was for a container used for scrap food that was taken home for one’s dog. But over the years it became a word used for a bag for extra food left over from a meal to be eaten at home. In the 1970’s this term for leftovers became very popular and a widely used accepted custom.

I’ve seen people at a family or public function take doggie bagging to a whole other level. These people know how to do it. Many people use the two plate method. You fill one plate with food and then place the second plate on top of that. Some will even do this a few times and cart it out to their car. The ultimate doggie bagger will bring their own container!! The goal here is to take home extra food for consumption at a later date.

So I was pondering this…when you hear a good teaching…one needs to bag it up and take it home so that you can eat it later. A good teaching can give you so much good food that it’s hard to absorb it all at that moment so you need to bag it by taking notes or recording it. That’s the bagging part. Then when you get home a little later…you can eat/study the rest of the food/the word. Then the whole word will really be inside of you and you would have devoured the entire word and hopefully hidden it in your heart. Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Hearing the word alone will not help you. We must live it! James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. The word needs to become alive in our heart and mind. The Holy Spirit uses our knowledge of the word to remind us to follow and live it. When we need help the Holy Spirit uses that word to bring us wisdom, guidance and comfort. But we need the word in us! This is why we must doggy bag the word straight from the bible and also when we hear good biblical teaching and preaching. Combine this with prayer and you will be on a sure path to spiritual maturity and growth. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

I suggest you don’t use the paper plate method because you may lose some along the way. Get a container and really pack the food in there. When you get home you can take out that container of food and finish off that delicious meal. That food will feed your soul and bring nourishment to your body. Make sure you pack good food that is the right nutrition like the Bereans who examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. Be careful what you feed your spirit.

This is what I call…”doggy bagging the word!”

This is why we need to Doggy Bag the word:

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.