I have been deep into bible reading and studying now for two years. Every day I read, do my devotionals, listen to R.C. Sproul on my way to work and John Piper on my way home. I do my best to not miss a Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday evening at church. I write notes, either on a separate piece of paper to go in my faith journal or directly on the Wednesday night prayer list, which goes into my prayer journal, replacing the previous week, which is then moved into my church notebook. I say all this to show, I read the bible, I don't pretend to know the bible in it's entirety, but I know the gist of it.
I can't quote scripture without having to look it up, though I do have snippets in my mind that I can use to get my thought across, like "this is the day the Lord has made" "Oh my soul" just little pieces I can call into my head and heart when I need them. My constant mantra? "the love of Christ" you know, when you are dealing with someone you want to just reach out and smack them to bring them to their senses? "the love of Christ, the love of Christ, the love of Christ" say it enough and it will work. I haven't smacked anyone lately.
After two years of all of this reading and studying and listening and writing things down, I can still pick up my bible and find a verse that I have read over a million times and all of a sudden it clicks inside my brain, it means something, it makes a point at that moment, it guides me, shows me something I've never seen before.
This very thing happened to me a few days ago and that same day I received a message from my BFF about that exact same thing. How her favorite part about studying the bible is when you read something that you have read a million times and never give it a second thought then suddenly it stands out and becomes crystal clear. (this happens to us all the time, our wave lengths cross and we end up thinking the same thing at the same time, a lot.)
The Word is alive!
It moves inside of you, whether you have been reading it 3 months or 30 years. It never gets old, you can never grasp the whole entire thing at once. It changes with your circumstances, it can fill you with joy and bring you to your knees in repentance.
You can read in the Psalms a million times, then one day you're feeling low, you may or may not know why and "O my soul....." Psalm 43:5 it lifts you up. The spirit opens up a verse that has never really touched you before. Sure you've read it, like a million times, but now you feel it. It touches something deep inside, comforts or convicts you. It's moving inside of you.
Then this thought brings me to...isn't that proof enough that God exists?
List any other book that has been around this long. That has moved so many from bad to good, from evil doer to saint.
Can you think of any other book that is still as relevant today, to ordinary people, as it was the first day an ordinary person read it? Can you name me any self help book that has lasted that long? Because technically that's what the bible is, a self help book for the soul. God didn't inspire it because He needed a record of His history. He hasn't protected it through the ages so He could look back on all that He has done in the world since creation. He did it for us, Romans 10:13-14 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
What other book, ever in history, breathes into your life, changes with your needs, convicts you one day and lifts you up the next, hides things from you until your time of need, then shines blindingly bright right when you need it?
Books, pages, paper and ink can not do that on their own. I have floor to ceiling books shelves in my office at home, full of books, not one of them, (not even my favoritest Stephen King book The Stand) do I take out every day and read through and find something different, meaningful in the moment and inspiring. Not one, out of all those books, and there are plenty.
If I were to take that favored book off the shelf and read in it everyday for a year, I could just about guarantee that I would know it front to back almost word for word when I got finished. I could probably quote you the whole story. There would be no changes, no thought provoking sentences that would leap off the page and make me consider my own behavior, nothing that would move me to change. It's a story, a very good one, but a story none the less.
On the other hand I can take my bible, read it everyday for a year, which I have done, and start over the next year, which I am doing, and even though I know the stories, they are somehow different, there is a phrase I didn't see last year, an "OH! that's what that means" I never realized last year.
I'm on my second reading through of the bible, and as I said earlier I have been in my devotionals for two years (that is going to be a future post) and I found a verse I have never noticed before.
We all know what Jesus cried out on the cross...
Mathew 27:46 Mark 15:34
and perhaps I'm slow on the pick up, but I was reading in my bible a few months ago and found it in Psalms 22:1 I mean so much is made through out the gospels about Jesus fulfilling the old testament scripture, and here are his last words, in the Psalms, which I have read like at least 500 times and never noticed it. Then all of a sudden, there it was! Like a glaring light in the dark. I was so excited I immediately messaged the BFF to make sure she saw it too.
Yeah, I'm slow sometimes. But it eventually comes to me. LOL
The more I grow in my faith, the less things like that happen.
I was wondering the other day, do you think it's because they aren't happening as often, or have I just grown so used to them happening I don't notice them as much? Now there's a thought to ponder......
On a side note, I want to make this very clear. This is my blog, about working out my faith, my growing in my knowledge and understanding of all that God has opened up for me. My viewpoints will more than likely change as I grow deeper in knowledge of my Loving God and Father, Savior and King. Notice the theme here, it's mine, all mine.
The last thing I would want to do is cause someone to stumble if I am wrong, that's why I say I am working out my faith on this blog, not teaching nor preaching.
You don't have to agree with the way I look at things. But you do have to remember the "working it out" part. It's a process, I'm learning, and Lord willing, I'm growing.
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