Genesis 31 tells the story of Jacob’s sneaking away from his Uncle Laban’s land—taking with him the family, flocks, servants, and great wealth that he had accumulated. Laban gathers his fighting men and goes after them. The angel of God is visits Jacob and Laban, and instead of a battle, they declare peace and boundaries. And sneaky Rachel gets away with stealing her father’s terraphim.

As I read some historical fiction about this story, I realized how many holes I had in my Biblical knowledge of this story. I had to go back to Genesis and really dig in to all the trickiness by all humans involved, and in spite of that God has his hand on the whole situation.

See related blog: Read with Discernment: Questions to Ask Yourself

words→pictures→doodle→for some of us: art

If you’re looking for a new way to spend time in the scriptures listening for what God has to say to you today, you might try doodling.

I am not an accomplished artist, but I am a life-long doodler. Here’s the method I use. I invite you to adapt it to fit your own style and skillset.

• Read the verses and pray about them.
• Ask yourself:
  • Is there a word or phrase the jumps out at me?
  • What visual comes to mind? (It may be as simple as colors, an abstract, a word, or a stick figure…)
  • Do the verses remind me of something or someone in my life?
  • If I was going to explain this concept to a 6-year-old, what picture would aid in understanding?
• Draw a picture or write the words and let the Holy Spirit guide your thoughts.

Feel free to share your work in the comments.