A Hedge of Clichés - Crosswalk the Devotional - August 18

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( A Hedge of Clichés by Katherine Britton And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. - [Matthew 6:7]( A Bible study friend recently encouraged me to rewrite the famous passage on [Proverbs 31]( woman in my own words, with application to my own life. I took her up on the challenge, thinking the task wouldn't be too hard for someone who writes for a career. Crafting a modern application took an hour—much longer than I figured. Getting away from verbatim repetition to explore specific application required much more of my time and energy than I would typically spend journaling on a passage. Stepping back from the verse-by-verse analysis, though, I thought I saw the [Proverbs 31]( woman's characteristics a bit more clearly. Rewriting the passage didn't destroy the original language for me—on the contrary. The "words, words, words" seemed fresh and clear from my new vantage point. Unfortunately, reading and "hiding Scripture in our hearts" quickly slips into rote recitation for me. It's like Tim Hawkin's [hedge of protection]( comedy sketch; the words have power, but we start spouting them off without much thought. Pretty soon, I'm sitting in church and halfway through a hymn before I realize that I'm singing. My heart gets left behind too when my mind is disengaged. Pretty soon, I'm praying a "hedge of protection" for somebody, partially because the phrase sounds good without making me think too carefully about their specific needs. The Pharisee Jesus described in [Luke 18:9-13]( had mastered the art of hiding insincerity behind the right phrases. He knew the turn of phrase that would convey holy devotion, regardless of the filth in his heart. "Words, words, words" became meaningless, as Hamlet saw them in the dead books - they became a socially acceptable key to avoid the real attitudes. [CONTINUE READING →]( You May Also Like: [10 Ways You Need to Detoxify Your Soul Right Now]( Whitney Hopler The little choices that you make every day add up to a significant effect on your soul. [CONTINUE READING →]( [5 Signs You're in an Abusive Church]( Rev. Kyle Norman So, how might we know if we belong to an abusive or toxic church? What are some signs that illustrate abusive behavior within the community? Here are 5 signs common to abusive churches. [CONTINUE READING →](                       Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                       Where did Moses die? A. Mount Hor B. Mount Sinai C. Mount Ebal D. Mount Nebo [ANSWER THE QUESTION →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](