The Hidden Meaning

"Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart" (Psalm 119:34).

My young daughter was only six years old when she began to memorize poetry. She loved the rhythm and rhyme in poems and never had difficulty in understanding their meaning. Metaphors and similes were her favorite "pictures," and she digested the words like a chocolate delicacy. My son, however, was exactly the opposite. Poetry was one subject he avoided as much as possible, and he especially hated reciting any verse out loud. Because of their length, he was overwhelmed by poems like "Hiawatha," "The Lady of Shalott," and "Snow-bound," and he felt they were written in some language he never quite understood. Frustrated, he would say, "Why don't they just come out and say it? Can't they just talk normally, so you know what's going on?"

Compared to poetry, God's Word may seem even more difficult to understand. Because the Bible is filled with its own books of poetry, as well as history, prophecy, and other types of writing, we need help in discerning its truths. With our finite minds, we don't always understand how the Bible relates to us. However, 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Since the Bible is from God, to understand its truths, you must be born of the Spirit (John 3:6) and filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Therefore, we must always ask the Holy Spirit to be our teacher when we read the Bible.

Do you avoid reading the Bible because it seems too difficult to understand? Preachers and seminary students are not the only ones who can know its truths. Guided by the Holy Spirit, you are perfectly capable of understanding Bible principles and sharing those principles with everyone you meet. Best of all, God will help you apply its principles to every homeschooling challenge you face, including teaching poetry to your son!

Heavenly Father,
My heart sings with praise to You
For the blessings in Your Word so true.
Teach my mind this day to know
Wisdom from You that will make me grow. Amen.

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Comments(10 comments)

DONNA J 02/25/2009 15:21:37

I am so enjoying your blog...this is my third comment today.

I know some other homeschool moms that would really enjoy this, too.

LISA L 02/23/2011 06:33:40

I need wisdom...struggling with a seemingly peaceful, loving, compassionate 14 year old who seems to be adamant about setting the tone for our house to be chaos and stress....I know it's hormonal and I don't think I'm dealing with it correctly, he seems to push all my buttons.

KELLE F 02/23/2011 08:33:15

I love poetry. I may not always get it either. Sometimes reading in my Bible is the same, but I just plug along. I love the poem/prayer at the end of this. I hope its ok if I make a copy and paste it up with my other scriptures that I keep on my kitchen wall.

ELAINE P 02/24/2011 07:09:41

I agree, this blog is a treasure!

KAYLA Z 02/23/2012 09:12:20

Lisa, I.ve been a secondary school teacher for many years and have 2 sons, ages 22 and 7. I have a few suggestions for dealing with your 14 year old son.

-Clearly state your expectations. CALMLY repeat them when necessary.

-Avoid verbal confrontation. This is how they push buttons. Do not engage, simply repeat your expectations.

-Choose your battles! Ignore irritating behaviors as much as possible. If he is not getting a reaction from you, chances are he will stop.

Praise/reward desired behavior!!! Just because he is now a teenager, does not mean he will no longer respond to praise and rewards. At first you need to "catch him" doing good/productive things frequently, even small things. I really liked the way you.....You did a great job.....Because you did..., I want to...(reward). Rewards can be things like treats, video game time, going for a walk together, going somewhere, stickers on a progress chart. You know what your son likes, be creative. Let him make recommendations too

-Give him some control. Let him make some of the lesson plan decisions.

Good luck! Hope this helps!

LYNN S 02/23/2012 12:09:47

Great reminder about the Holy Spirit and God's word becoming more understandable as he leads us into wisdom.

Kayla Z. Thank you for your advice even though it was for another person, I also have a 14 year old and know the difficulty in trying to appease them. I agree with all that you wrote. I do think it is more than hormonal issues that cause us to butt heads though. They are getting more confidence at this age and I believe mentally they think they are ready to take the wheel and be in charge of '' Their own life".

That to me is the real challenge, Leading them not dictating. Guiding them not demanding. Directing and correcting them gently and lovingly.

They will respond as we do. Lots of prayer together. When My daughters and I but heads I go to them and tell them I am having problems

with my expectations at the moment and we either pray together or I go and pray by myself and then a new sense of peace comes over me and I can have patience as I watch them struggle. That wisdom was a gift to me also as I prayed about my daughters attitude. Admitting I struggled at that age and with those subjects seemed to help her and admitting my fears to her . Humbleness helps. I also think sometimes that we get too caught up in the immediate desire to see good grades and completed assignments. That is the goal but behavioral growth or emotional maturity is a goal in our home also, so I get some encouragement from that changing. Picking your battles is the best advice and I have been using that in all of my relationships. It is possible to let so much go and move on.

May Jesus bless you mightily as he leads, guides and directs you today.

KATHY SPIELER 02/23/2013 14:45:47

Well this Devotional hit the nail right on the head!

Could not be more true. Avoiding Bible reading because it's hard to understand, the long almost unpronouncable names and honestly the version that is used here flies over my head like a bird (and please, no mean comments, I know most of you like the version used, just my own opinion). I use the easiest version I can find. But I procrastinate reading because of the above mentioned reasons. Thank you I truly feel that I am not alone for once!

WENDY ERICKSON 02/23/2013 15:43:08

First of all the devotion for today was exactly what I needed to read this morning. There was a situation with my 15 year old son yesterday, and I did not handle it in the way I should have. I was feeling so grieved and was praying for wisdom from The Lord. He led me to Psalm 119, and I was reading and praying the Word over my situation. I so desire for Holy Spirit to reveal truth from His Word that will transform me. The extra bonus was reading what Kayla Z. and Lynn S. wrote in the comments. Thank you both so very much for the extra wisdom and insights. I am so blessed by this blog and it's readers.

AMY PARIS 02/23/2013 17:32:26

Along the line of understanding The Bible, it would be great is The Bible verses quoted in the blog were from a more understandable version, like NKJV. The old English is not quote as smooth a read. That being said, thank you so much for your blog. There always seems to be something in it that God wants to show me. God bless.

LETITIA HALE 02/26/2013 21:45:52

Thanks for making my day. I enjoy poetry, and sometimes write it. I like your devotional better than any I"ve come across so far.

Shalom :o)


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