Worth a Second Read
Have you ever watched a movie more than once? For me, it depends on the movie. There have been a few worth watching twice because they were just that good...and some that required a second-watch to 'catch' the things you missed the first time.
Yesterday my husband happened to stop channel surfing when he came across a movie that we'd seen years before. The movie was about three-quarters of the way through and as my brain caught up with the action, I was able to recall a few details about the movie...but not many. I did, however remember the BIG ENDING. That's about the only part I was sure about.
Same thing with novels and books. I enjoy reading, but since I don't get to do enough of it, I rarely spend the time to re-read a book. I can only think of one novel in my life that I enjoyed so much that I sought it out to read a second time. I could remember the ending and the over-all story line, but the details and events had escaped me, so I could actually enjoy my subsequent appraisal.
This happened to me the other day as I was reading a passage of scripture from Acts. I was in the 12th chapter and read about the death of Herod. It was rather grotesque and I wondered for a moment, how I could have forgotten such a disturbing story. I mean, I know I've read the book of Acts before...
Sometimes I think God gets a kick out of me... surely this was one of those times. He drew my attention to the crowded book shelf in the corner of my office, reminding me that I have forgotten more than I've retained of most of those books. But I want to remember! I want so badly to be able to have the right words at the right time to help a sister in crisis, to comfort someone's pain or to ease their fears. I want to remember the stories and the parables in enough detail to not sound like a bumbling idiot when I try to recant them.
The Spirit of God, who is faithful to instruct and guide, reminds me that in order to know a story that well, I'd need to spend more time reading it...reading it over and over and over until it is woven into the very fabric of my being; until it has become a part of me.
And although there are entire chapters of my Bible so worn and marked-up that a casual observer would think that I would have them memorized forwards and backwards by now - the truth is that as my experiences in life have changed and shaped me, my perspective changes...and when you read the same words from a different perspective, you take away different information.
Three people may have seen the same accident, but when questioned by detectives they will probably give three fairly different accounts...three different perspectives. My perspective has changed over the years from a young bride, to a mother of school-aged children to a grandmother...so I'm picking up on different things from the same verses that I read years before - things that escaped me back then.
And when I read this same book over and over, sometimes I'm looking for something different, so I am focused on something that I never looked for before. Have you ever noticed how no one drives a certain type of car, until you buy one...then suddenly everyone is driving that same kind of car? It's not because everyone went car shopping at the same place as you - it's because your focus changed. It's about seeing what you're looking for, or having a trained eye.
If you sit down with your Bible and look for all the times the scriptures foretold the coming of the Messiah, you will find numerous references, but if you're not looking for them, they may slip right by you as you read over the words, not realizing what you're reading. That's why we can be certain that the Word of God is a living word.
I must admit that I've never read the entire Bible...there is still so much for me to discover as I study my way through, but even the verses I have read keep bringing fresh energy to my hungry spirit. Like mom's meatloaf recipe...I've had it before, but every time I smell it cooking, it delights my senses and every bite is full of deliciousness.
I hope that you are finding time to open the Word and just read...letting the Spirit guide you and teach you. My goal is to immerse myself in at least a chapter each day. God is faithful and His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), so I know I will get something from it...I just never know what. Even though I know the ending - the details and events continue to amaze me.
Be blessed!
Yesterday my husband happened to stop channel surfing when he came across a movie that we'd seen years before. The movie was about three-quarters of the way through and as my brain caught up with the action, I was able to recall a few details about the movie...but not many. I did, however remember the BIG ENDING. That's about the only part I was sure about.
Same thing with novels and books. I enjoy reading, but since I don't get to do enough of it, I rarely spend the time to re-read a book. I can only think of one novel in my life that I enjoyed so much that I sought it out to read a second time. I could remember the ending and the over-all story line, but the details and events had escaped me, so I could actually enjoy my subsequent appraisal.
This happened to me the other day as I was reading a passage of scripture from Acts. I was in the 12th chapter and read about the death of Herod. It was rather grotesque and I wondered for a moment, how I could have forgotten such a disturbing story. I mean, I know I've read the book of Acts before...
Sometimes I think God gets a kick out of me... surely this was one of those times. He drew my attention to the crowded book shelf in the corner of my office, reminding me that I have forgotten more than I've retained of most of those books. But I want to remember! I want so badly to be able to have the right words at the right time to help a sister in crisis, to comfort someone's pain or to ease their fears. I want to remember the stories and the parables in enough detail to not sound like a bumbling idiot when I try to recant them.
The Spirit of God, who is faithful to instruct and guide, reminds me that in order to know a story that well, I'd need to spend more time reading it...reading it over and over and over until it is woven into the very fabric of my being; until it has become a part of me.
And although there are entire chapters of my Bible so worn and marked-up that a casual observer would think that I would have them memorized forwards and backwards by now - the truth is that as my experiences in life have changed and shaped me, my perspective changes...and when you read the same words from a different perspective, you take away different information. Three people may have seen the same accident, but when questioned by detectives they will probably give three fairly different accounts...three different perspectives. My perspective has changed over the years from a young bride, to a mother of school-aged children to a grandmother...so I'm picking up on different things from the same verses that I read years before - things that escaped me back then.
And when I read this same book over and over, sometimes I'm looking for something different, so I am focused on something that I never looked for before. Have you ever noticed how no one drives a certain type of car, until you buy one...then suddenly everyone is driving that same kind of car? It's not because everyone went car shopping at the same place as you - it's because your focus changed. It's about seeing what you're looking for, or having a trained eye.
If you sit down with your Bible and look for all the times the scriptures foretold the coming of the Messiah, you will find numerous references, but if you're not looking for them, they may slip right by you as you read over the words, not realizing what you're reading. That's why we can be certain that the Word of God is a living word.
I must admit that I've never read the entire Bible...there is still so much for me to discover as I study my way through, but even the verses I have read keep bringing fresh energy to my hungry spirit. Like mom's meatloaf recipe...I've had it before, but every time I smell it cooking, it delights my senses and every bite is full of deliciousness.
I hope that you are finding time to open the Word and just read...letting the Spirit guide you and teach you. My goal is to immerse myself in at least a chapter each day. God is faithful and His word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11), so I know I will get something from it...I just never know what. Even though I know the ending - the details and events continue to amaze me.
Be blessed!
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