'Biter' or 'Ruminator'? This is the question I have for you and I today – ‘Biter’ or ‘Ruminator’?
Who is a biter? A biter is one who (in this context), takes an excerpt or fragment from something larger leaving the majority of the substance behind, and in the same vein of context a ruminator is someone who turns a matter over and over in the mind usually to reach a decision that will produce results.
This question arose in my mind a few months ago and got me thinking about my ’Word life’. I have been a Pentecostal Christian for a few years now, but recently the Lord began bringing it to my attention that although I heard and regurgitated a lot of bible verses and promises I had heard from pastors, teachers, etc over the years, I have been for most of my Christian life, a biter and not a ruminator. What do I mean by this? Well let’s take a little walk down the hall of faith …..
A soundbite is an audiolinguistic and social communications phenomenon whose nature was recognized in the late 20th century. It is characterized by a short phrase or sentence that deftly captures the essence of what the speaker is trying to say. Such key moments in dialogue (or monologue) stand out better in the audience's memory and thus become the "taste" that ‘best’ (in the mind of the communicator) represents the entire "meal" of the larger message or conversation. Unfortunately a soundbite being an excerpt of the larger message is often subject to manipulation, misinterpretation or even an unintentional neutralization of impact, or reversal of meaning to the point of rendering the root statement impotent or worse still outright wrong, producing no result, an altered result, or the opposite effect than was intended.
An example of a soundbite might be:
Mr. B has no longer has money.... Now if this was a statement that was repeated enough times it would convey that Mr. B was now a poor man and if he were a business man his investors would be getting nervous right about that time…
Contrast this to the full statement – Mr. B no longer has money in his offshore bank accounts in ...... , because of the economic instability in that country….. Wow! totally different huh? Well the Lord told me I had become- a spiritual ‘soundbiter’ who after having heard the Word would run off with the ‘teaser’ and not take the time to consider the whole of the scripture, and would then start wondering why my confessions and prayers were not having the desired effect or producing the results I desired.
Take for example a soundbite of scripture could be:
…. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus….. Phil 4:19 Do I hear an amen?!
If however one were to just run with this scripture ‘as is’ it may likely produce no effect even if one quoted it from now till the hens come home to roost, because it is only a taste of the whole which is:
Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.
But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Phil 4:15-19
Showing that the prayer for the supplying of the need came after the commendation that the Philippians gave to the necessity of the saints… which brings me to the ‘ruminator’ part – as previously defined would be the Christian who would:
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15.
This Christian would also follow the instruction from the Word that states:
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
So when things are not going the way you and I want them to go or we are not getting the desired results, maybe it’s time to ask ourselves am I ‘Ruminating’ or ‘Biting’?
Shalom.
PS As a matter of fact not only when things are not going right, but all the time and for all of our days
Shalom again…..
© OluperoMettabel, October 2010
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