'Biter' or a 'Ruminator'?

Are you a 'Biter' or a '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 setting 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 posed came to 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, thus becoming the "taste" that best (in the  mind of  the  communicator) represents the entire "meal" of a larger message or conversation. Unfortunately, a  soundbite being an excerpt of  a  larger body of information 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 an exciting snippet from The Word would run off with the ‘teaser’ and not take the time to consider the whole of the scripture.

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 this:

Phil 4:15-19

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.   

The phrase in its totality now showing that the prayer for the supplying of the need came after the   commendation that the Philippians gave to the need of the saints…

Little wonder why my confessions and prayers were not having the desired effect nor producing the results I desired!

 ... Which brings me to the ‘ruminator’ part – which, as previously defined would be the Christian who would:
Study to shew himself 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:

Joshua 1:8-9

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

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 just ‘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.