Wednesday 23 June 2010

Getting into the Werd (as Brian Sumner would say)


At bible study at the shop a week or so ago we watched a Nooma video called "Noise"

Here it is (with spanish subtitles if you are so inclined):





Aferwards we were discussing what noise we personally choose to subject ourselves to and we came to the decision to each choose something to fast for a week. Some chose their car radio, some their ipods. I chose watching TV on my own. I have a tendency to chuck on a dvd when I find myself with spare time. I switch off. I guess that's really what I want to do when I find myself devoid of tasks.

Maybe only a day later, in the quiet of my car (I don't actually have a car radio to choose to switch off, it's always quiet) I was thinking about the Bible. I was thinking how I believe and I tell people that the Bible is God's Word.
That it's God's story.
It recounts times when God has spoken to people.
It recounts times when God has stepped in and acted in amazing ways.
It tells us who God is and what He has done.
What His character is like.
It tells us about who Jesus was, what he did and what he was like.

And it will not be added to. It is a certain length of pages and a certain number of books.

And, often, to be honest, I cannot be bothered to read it. I'll pick up a novel first. I'll turn on the TV. I definitely haven't read all of it. If you count from when I started to really follow God and direct my life and my heart towards Him, I've had about 13 years to read it.

That's so lame.

I apologised to God and I decided to get serious about getting to know God through His word. Often I've just dipped into the Bible to find something that is relevant and applicable to whatever struggle I am having that day. I didn't read it with the purpose to getting to know God. But now I want to. So I found and printed out a reading plan that puts the books in chronological order (I like order) and started at the beginning.

So far I'm into Job (don't be too impressed, according to my list it comes halfway through Genesis) and I feel not necessarily that God is teaching me something to apply to my life through every verse I read but that I am getting to know God's history and character and that is good.

Also I'm seeing the danger of dipping in and out willy nilly. I had previously highlighted a verse in Job (I haven't been a highlighter for a while because I think all God's word is equally good but that's by the by) and I must have found it encouraging or relevant at the time. But looking at it in the context of the whole book it doesn't at all mean what I thought it did when I sliced it out. Context is SO GOOD.

If you do want to do a bible reading plan, I'd encourage you to get one that you can do at your own pace, not one that's dated (or just ignore the dates) as it's too easy to get a busy few days, feel like you're behind and give up.

Just keep reading. Only good can come of it.


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