HONESTLY? It's been the most difficult thing for me to find the bible interesting and relevant! There you go - I confessed. Until five years ago I had been dependant on preachers and teachers to bring the bible alive for me. Throughout my childhood I was blessed that my Dad was a bible teacher and a comedian! He had ways of making 'boring' passages understandable and captured my attention with his stories and manner of communication. Occasionally when I was asked to preach or teach myself, I would pray like mad and frantically study commentaries on relevant passages. Thank God for His great grace and anointings for those times.
Dad passed away almost five years ago now, but before he died he prayed a blessing over me as the eldest child and passed on his 'mantle'. I'm not entirely sure what 'mantle' I now carry because as he laid hands on my head and prayed the prayer of blessing, his speech was incoherent due to the brain tumour which had affected this part of his brain. It was a powerful moment though which was witnessed by my mum - the Holy Spirit was there and there was a sense of great impartation. I wonder now if something of that 'mantle' involved having a relevant understanding of God's word.
Here's my story if you're inclined to want to know more.
I inherited one of Dad's many bibles and for the first year after he passed on I decided that I really should try reading the bible from start to finish. I had kidded myself that seeing as I had become a Christian at the age of 5 I must surely have read the whole bible a few times by now. I was personally challenged when a preacher got the congregation to respond by putting up their hands if they had read the bible at least once through. Quite a few of us responded, she then asked us to keep our hands up if we had read it through twice, then three then four times. Most of us sheepishly lowered our hands and by the end only a handful of people remained with their hands up.
I'm dellighted to say that I'm now reading through the book my fifth time and can hardly believe how much it has helped tranform my thinking. I am so excited and inspired by God's word and ways that I want to encourage everyone I can to get into the groove!
One thing is for sure - It will look different for everyone because we're all so unique. We have to find our own authentic way of reading and responding to God's word just as we do our own relationship with the Godhead - Father, son and Holy Spirit.
For me I found a 'read the bible in one or two years' resource really helpful,(referenced below). I quickly sensed how anointed it was as it is designed to lead you to start reading in four different but related places of the bible at the same time! For the first four years I simply started reading the bible in different translations each year to saturate myself in and engage with the story of scripture. Nothing else, no study or commentaries or books to explain, simply a prayer that Jesus would guide me through and bring something to my heart each time I read. My heart response ended up looking like the pictures you see attached - prophetic, dynamic, relevant to every day situations. These have been picked from my personal picture journals where I try to record things that happen on a daily basis so I don't lose track of all the things that go on in a busy family. I began to notice how scripture was influencing how I saw each day. This year I've started to take it a step further and have begun to highlight the verses that stand out from every chapter I read. I've become interested in knowing which verses the Lord uses to speak to me. It's become like another type of journalling. I feel like a toddler just beginning to discover a new world. There is so much to learn and I can't wait to try out other ways and methods of reading.
Inspired by a friend of mine who has been reading and leaving messages in bibles with her children specifically and prayerfully in mind, I have started to do that for my own children. I was recently told of someone who draws pictures in the bible inspired by what they read. The possible creative responses to the Word are endless. I think it boils down to us being open and honest, admitting that we daily need help in understanding God's word and allowing the Holy Spirit to partner with us in our own unique responses. The Holy Spirit will be our teacher and guide as we ask Him to lead us. Bible teachers are great but they are no substitute for having our own living relationship with the Holy Spirit who will ultimately guide us into all truth.
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| Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. |
More precious than Gold:
Published by the Lausanne Movement - the McCheyne reading scheme. Beginning at Genesis (birth of universe), Ezra (rebirth of the nation), Matthew (birth of Christ) and Acts (birth of the body of Christ). 
