Soaking in God’s Word Daily

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through steadfastness and the encouragement of the Scriptures,

we might have hope.”

— Romans 15:4

There is great wisdom in this collect—a prayer—written by Thomas Cranmer, the English reformer who helped shape the Anglican tradition. It reads:

Blessed Lord,

who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

help us so to hear them,

to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them

that, through patience and the comfort of your holy word,

we may embrace and ever hold fast the hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

In 16th-century England, Cranmer had a dream. He wanted to take what was once reserved for monasteries—the rhythms of prayer, psalm recitation, and Scripture reading—and bring it into homes and parish churches. His instrument for this was the Book of Common Prayer, a liturgical treasure saturated with Scripture. Through its lectionary, the people of God would hear

the full sweep of Scripture—Old and New, story and wisdom, judgment and mercy—in an orderly and consistent way.

Cranmer knew what Paul declared in Romans 15:4: “All Scripture” has been written for our learning. Not one part is too hot or too cold. Even the difficult passages are meant to humble us, to lead us to wrestle and reflect, even to seek help from others. Did not Christ Himself, on the road to Emmaus, open the Old

Testament to show how it pointed to Him?

“Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)

God caused all Scripture to be written—not for mere information, but for formation. His Word is living and active. It does not go out empty. It remakes us—day by day. This is why we never say, “I’ve read that already.” Each

return to Scripture is a return to the Living God, who speaks anew into every day

and season.

And notice Cranmer’s string of verbs: Hear. Read. Mark. Learn. Inwardly digest. It’s as if no single verb is enough. To approach God’s Word rightly, we need to bring our whole selves—ears, eyes, mind, heart, and will. We don’t just read Scripture. We let it read us, change us, nourish us.

Here at MPCC, we are deeply blessed with many avenues to engage with God’s

Word:

• The daily devotionals on Praydos give us an easy way to listen and reflect on Scripture.

• The Back-to-Basics (B2B) assignments invite us to reflect more deeply and write down our thoughts and reflections. It is a form of journaling.

• Our Cell groups, Bible Study groups and Sunday Services continue to open the Scriptures to the church. Small groups are helpful in that it allows us to share about what we have read. We learn the most when we talk

about it.

All of these help us do what Cranmer envisioned and what Paul affirmed:

That we may hold fast the hope God has given us in Jesus Christ.

So today, may we approach Scripture not as a task, but as a table—

A place where we sit, feast, and are nourished by the living Word.

Let us hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest—that we may grow in patience, receive comfort, and walk with enduring hope.