the value of journaling

Write down what you have seen (Revelation 1:19, NLT).
Dear friends: Sheila had an exciting job at a rapidly growing public relations firm. Her supervisor was energetic and talented, but he had a short temper and was not always reasonable or gracious. Nevertheless, despite her difficulties, Sheila firmly believed that God had provided her with this job, and she determined to trust Him to help her as she labored. One afternoon a phone call nearly ruined Sheila's whole week. Her boss was angry over a misunderstanding and accused her of irresponsibility and disloyalty. Her heart sank. She hung up the phone in tears. "Lord," she prayed silently, "You know how unfair he is sometimes. What do you want me to do?" The spiritual journal, which she had been keeping for the past several months, came to mind. She had been writing down prayer requests, Scriptures or Bible promises that applied to her circumstances, and insights that the Holy Spirit had given her. Quietly, in her heart, Sheila felt prompted to pick up the journal and read it. Through tears of joy she saw that in page after page she had recorded verses of Scripture for the very problem she faced that day. Before putting the journal away, Sheila made a note of the day's troubles and thanked God for the comfort of His Word. In less than an hour, her boss called back and apologized! For Sheila, keeping a spiritual journal proved to be of great encouragement in a moment of stress. Writing is important to God. He gave us His written Word. There are numerous instances in the Bible where God says to "write," such as in Revelation 1:19: "Write down what you have seen" (NLT). You might enjoy a word study on that. Such references are certainly not a legalistic requirement to journal, but it is a reminder that writing things down helps us to remember. There are also numerous exhortations in the Bible to "remember." Scientists have shown that if we see something as well as hear it, if it goes through our eye gate as well as our ear gate, we are more apt to remember. Journaling helps us to remember what God may have previously revealed to us, which we might otherwise forget. Sometimes it proves helpful if we journal our journey. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright