Reading the Bible in a New Way
Posted by Chris
I've been on this journey with God since I was in seventh grade - over 20 years ago. That's simply hard to comprehend for me. What makes it even harder is the fact that the longer I walk with Him, the more I feel like I'm just beginning to tap into Who He really is. It's the feeling you get when you're standing a distance away from something - as you begin to approach the object, the larger it gets, and the more you feel you're only catching a small glimpse of the whole. The object didn't change - your perspective of it just did.
One of my biggest struggles in those 20 years? Knowing how to approach the Bible.
It hasn't always felt like a struggle, mind you. When I was in high school, I spent time everyday in God's Word - reading, meditating, memorizing, journaling, & praying. It lasted for a year or so (those of you who know me well will know that 'ebb' period in the ebb & flow of my life with God).
When I was in college, I had a life-changing experience with God, a re-encounter and renewal, if you will, that launched me into a time of intense focus and devotion in my life. Once again I found myself craving time with Him. It was an intense period of 'washing' and renewal in my soul that helped set my feet back upon the path that I find myself today.
But that feels so long ago.
As I got older, got married, got kids (yeah, I know, bad grammar), got cynical, I found myself having a hard time approaching Scripture the way I once did. As I began to understand the importance of others in my journey, I unintentionally found myself neglecting that solitary time with Him. It wasn't pre-meditated or planned. Life was busy - busier than before, and the freshness of what God was teaching me in community pacified the curiosity and craving that used to drive me to the Bible.
But I missed it. And when I realized what was happening, and I wanted to go back, I found it hard to find my way. I would pick up the Bible and try and read it the way I used to, but I could never find the consistency and depth I used to experience.
It has gotten better, but I find myself looking for newness in how I approach His Word in my life. It's a spiritual evolution, of sorts, like other things in my life - that as life goes on, and my walk with Him grows, I yearn for more than the status quo or the past. I don't long for the 'days of old,' but, rather, for the days ahead because I know the Goodness that lies before me. I want to know more of Him, and for Him to find more of me usable for His purposes and His Kingdom.
I'm not sure how I ended up here. This isn't what I was planning on writing about this morning. I spent some time on my deck with a warm cup of coffee in the coolness of the morning. I revisited a new, yet ancient approach to His Word called Lectio Divina. It was good and refreshing. I guess that will have to be another post for another day.
One of my biggest struggles in those 20 years? Knowing how to approach the Bible.
It hasn't always felt like a struggle, mind you. When I was in high school, I spent time everyday in God's Word - reading, meditating, memorizing, journaling, & praying. It lasted for a year or so (those of you who know me well will know that 'ebb' period in the ebb & flow of my life with God).
When I was in college, I had a life-changing experience with God, a re-encounter and renewal, if you will, that launched me into a time of intense focus and devotion in my life. Once again I found myself craving time with Him. It was an intense period of 'washing' and renewal in my soul that helped set my feet back upon the path that I find myself today.
But that feels so long ago.
As I got older, got married, got kids (yeah, I know, bad grammar), got cynical, I found myself having a hard time approaching Scripture the way I once did. As I began to understand the importance of others in my journey, I unintentionally found myself neglecting that solitary time with Him. It wasn't pre-meditated or planned. Life was busy - busier than before, and the freshness of what God was teaching me in community pacified the curiosity and craving that used to drive me to the Bible.
But I missed it. And when I realized what was happening, and I wanted to go back, I found it hard to find my way. I would pick up the Bible and try and read it the way I used to, but I could never find the consistency and depth I used to experience.
It has gotten better, but I find myself looking for newness in how I approach His Word in my life. It's a spiritual evolution, of sorts, like other things in my life - that as life goes on, and my walk with Him grows, I yearn for more than the status quo or the past. I don't long for the 'days of old,' but, rather, for the days ahead because I know the Goodness that lies before me. I want to know more of Him, and for Him to find more of me usable for His purposes and His Kingdom.
I'm not sure how I ended up here. This isn't what I was planning on writing about this morning. I spent some time on my deck with a warm cup of coffee in the coolness of the morning. I revisited a new, yet ancient approach to His Word called Lectio Divina. It was good and refreshing. I guess that will have to be another post for another day.
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