What Jill Pole Teaches Us About Loving the Word of God

In The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, Jill Pole is given four signs by Aslan in order to guide them on a quest to save King Caspian’s missing son, Prince Rilian. Aslan gives Jill the following instructions:

“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night. And whatever strange things may happen to you, let nothing turn your mind from following the signs. And secondly, I give you a warning. Here on the mountain I have spoken to you clearly: I will not often do so down in Narnia. Here on the mountain, the air is clear and your mind is clear; as you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken. Take great care that it does not confuse your mind. And the signs which you have learned here will not look at all as you expect them to look, when you meet them there. That is why it is so important to know them by heart and pay no attention to appearances. Remember the signs and believe the signs. Nothing else matters.” — Aslan, The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

When I re-read this book for over the fourth time last year, I was struck by how similar Aslan’s instructions are to the instructions God gave Joshua.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” – Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

Lewis knew a thing or two about the importance of the Word of God. As a man who went from atheist to theologian, he managed to convey his deep love for God and Scripture in both his nonfiction and fiction books. The Silver Chair is no exception.

Aslan (who is God in the universe of Narnia), had some valuable insight for Jill on remembering the sings or instructions he had given her. If we apply them to the Bible, we will also find some helpful tips for being successful in the quest of our lives.

Remember the Signs

There is power in remembrance. To remember is to bring to mind or think of again. Imagine pulling a picture from a drawer in order to think about the captured moment. In the Bible, we are constantly told to bring things to remembrance.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” – Psalm 77:11-12 (NIV)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

God, throughout the Bible, shows a high value for remembrance. He instructs us to remember His works and all He has done, as well as to remember His commandments and keep them in our heart (Proverbs 3:1-3). This means we have to be intentional to bring to mind or think of what God says in His Word and the things He has done in our lives. We must bring this snapshots out of the drawers of our mind and dwell upon them, looking upon the moments we’ve captured where God has been good, faithful, and true.

Cultivate Key: In order to cultivate a love for the Word, we have to remember God’s works and God’s word.

Say Them to Yourself

Both God and Lewis echo this sentiment. In order to remember the signs, or to remember God’s instructions, we have to say them to ourselves. This means we have to speak them, again and again, out loud, so they become ingrained in our minds and hearts.

Romans gives us the key to cultivating faith: “hearing” the Word of God.

“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” – Romans 10:17, (NIV)

According to scientific research, reading something out loud and hearing it can help your brain store information. (Railton, David. “Reading Aloud Boosts Memory.” Medical News Today. December 28, 2017. Accessed April 3, 2026. Article Link.)

Is it any wonder that God tells us to keep the Book of the Law always on our lips? Is it any wonder, then, that our faith grows when we “hear” the Word? Aslan knew that Jill would need to remember, and speak out loud, the signs. By doing this, she would take them from her head and into her heart. Like her, we must remember the Word and we must speak it to ourselves every moment we can.

The book of Joshua calls this meditation. To meditate on the Word is to speak it to ourselves day in and day out. Meditating, in the Bible, means filling up our heads with God’s thoughts, words, and instructions.

Cultivate Key: In order to cultivate a love for the Word, we have to speak the Bible out loud and declare it to ourselves.

Let Nothing Turn Your Mind

Aslan was insistent that Jill not get distracted. She had to stay on her mission and follow the signs. Unfortunately, Jill didn’t do this well and they miss three of the four signs on their journey.

How like us is this? God will give us clear instructions in the word, and we will still get distracted and miss the signs. We get distracted by discouragement, challenges, offense, bitterness, or even the pursuit of momentary pleasure at the price of obedience and lasting peace. We can even get distracted by daily life and the ordinary moments that build of our days. Distractions can look like friends, family, hobbies, work, entertainment. They may not always be evil, but if they make us forget the signs, and stray form the Word, then we will miss our mission and come dangerously close to fumbling it.

Hebrews 12:1 says it well:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Cultivate Key: In order to cultivate a love for the Word, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus, letting nothing turn our minds.

A Final Warning

Aslan tells Jill that up on the mountain, things look clear, but once she goes into Narnia and begins her quest, the signs will be harder to remember. He warns her that the signs will not look as she expects them to, and therefore, she must take great care to remember them and believe them. Nothing else mattered.

As believers, it is much the same with us. When we are up on the mountain, with clear air and heads, gazing upon God’s face and basking in His presence, everything seems simple. When we’re in church worshipping and His presence is so clear, following Him and His Word seems the easiest thing to do. But when real life resumes, and we have work and the cares of life thickening our brains, following the signs is suddenly so much harder.

What seems cristal clear in prayer and in a prophetic atmosphere suddenly is muddled in normal life. What God spoke, His commandments and His Word, can begin to feel confusing and muddled.

Maybe God gave you a promise years ago, and in that moment everything seemed clear and possible. But today, down here on earth, the promise seems like a big maybe and forgetting the signs and the instructions for fleeting comfort and joy looks much more inviting.

Jill and Eustace ended up coming into the house of the giants because they wanted the easy way out. They spent a day of comfort and luxury, but soon discovered that their warm reception was only because they were the main course for the giants’s next meal. Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum barely made it out alive.

This is a vital reminder for us. When it seems easier to take the simple way out and forget God’s instructions, we have to remember the signs, believe them with all our hearts, and stay the course. Like Aslan said, “Nothing else matters.”

Cultivate Key: In order to cultivate a love for the Word, we must know it by heart and pay no attention to appearances.

Final Thought

My prayer for you is that you feel encouraged to cultivate a love for the Bible. In it, there are sings, instructions, and words of life. In it, there are clues and hints to lead you on the right track and help you achieve your mission successfully. Love the Word, remember it, say it to yourself, know it by heart and pay no attention to the distractions of the world that would keep you from it.

And if you, like Jill, bumble through and miss three out of the four signs, remember that God in His great grace will lead you to the goal. Just like Jill succeeded despite her failures, we too can succeed despite our weaknesses.

Go and cultivate a love for the Word of God.
– Anna

---

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash