Why does journaling mean so much to me?

Because it is the way I track what God has said to me, to my heart. 

The Bible shows us clearly that God speaks to His people individually, specifically. He speaks primarily through the Bible, giving us a special word as we read. He speaks through other godly people, He speaks to us as we pray, and through the circumstances of our lives. And any other way He chooses!

To hear Him speak, our spirits must be in tune with His voice because He doesn’t usually speak audibly. However, He speaks just as clearly through thoughts and that come to mind. 

That’s why journaling is so important to me. Though God doesn’t speak to me every day, when He does journaling helps me remember what He has said, so that I can respond in writing and keep it for future reference. If I don’t write it down, I won’t remember. 

I’ve also found that God speaks to me as I am writing—new thoughts come. I’ve learned that it doesn’t take many words to capture those thoughts, and in fact for me, the fewer words the better. I like to scan through what I’ve written in the past—sometimes looking for something specific—and too many words get in the way.

Let me encourage you to journal if you are not already. Anticipate hearing from God and write down what you have heard in as few words as you can. Any notebook will do, just be sure to date your entries. Keep your journals, no matter how seldom or little you write, because one day, they may have special meaning for you, and you don’t want to miss it.

 

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