There Is More To Reading

Many times in my ministry I have encouraged people to read their bibles. To no avail in most instances. Encouragement to take them off the shelf, pick them up and blow the dust of them and just open the cover. Most people don’t, but that’s another story for another time. Like most of us, people have good intentions, but . . . Some take up the adventure opening the cover and read about people and places of long long ago. There are stories of intrigue and suspense. There are naked people walking around in beautiful gardens. There are wars, killing and families like ours who have their disagreements and shall I say, “Family Feuds.”
If we have been part of the church thing most of our lives, we will have some idea of who the people are and something about what happened. But we forget. We blend some histories together with others. I remember a quiz from long ago that asked some interesting questions. The first one was, and yes I remember it, “How many animals did Adam take on the Ark?”. Did you get it? First, no one knows how many animals were on the Ark. What we do know is they came in pairs, one male and one female. The second part of the question is, it was not Adam but Noah. I knew you knew that.
When we arrive at the New Testament, we get to see a different dynamic. I see this part of the bible as more then just God’s history and we being a part of His history. I see in the New Testament a collection of books that talk about changed lives. The disciples were changed from ordinary men to followers to leaders. Some were in our estimation, uneducated, floundering, inept, unwilling and unuseable leaders. Well, that is at first. Things changed when Jesus took hold of them. They were change not only in their personal and spiritual life when they met Jesus, but they were also changed internally. It was a change outside time and space and education or any of the things we attribute to bringing about a changed life. The change came when they met the master and their heart and soul was changed.
Something touched them. They were different. What happened is what can happen to all of us. We just have to do more then just read the words found in our bibles. What we need to do is let ourselves be changed by what we read. Yes, you can read a novel and be taken in by what you read. But ultimately it’s just a story. A make believe.
Our bible is not just a story. It is the hand of God letting us in on what changed people then and how it can change us today. As I encourage people to read the bible today, I encourage them to go further, to go past the words and what we read. All of us need to read the holy words of scripture and let it into your mind, heart and soul and in so doing, to meet the God who loves us.
Mark probably said it best, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30
This is just one verse you will read and spend time thinking about until it speaks to you. Go ahead, take a few minutes. Read the words until they change your heart and soul.
Something to think about.
Rob

Looking into His face.

It’s fun to watch people. I do more of that then almost anything else. Maybe that’s why I don’t get a lot done at times. But it is so much fun. I watched a parent trying to talk to her child just the other day. You could tell by the crossed arms and surly down cast face, and they were having none of it. Then there was the mother - daughter walking through the mall. Mom was talking and the daughter had headphones in and texting someone. Probably telling them how much of a bore mom is but she holds the purse. Just then, while I watching mom and daughter, five seniors went whizzing by me on lap ten of their daily exercise routine.
Or how about the father who patiently waited to get to the tool section while reluctantly keeping guard of the son, who fantasized through the toys. I also noticed two tweens looking at clothes and lighting up as they found one thing after another they liked and shared. It was so much fun to watch them.
You need to know that it is hard work watching people. Wondering what’s on their mind and why they’re here. I will let you in on a secret. Well, it’s really not a secret. You can tell a lot about a person by noticing three things. Take a look at their walk. It can tell you about them. Fast, slow, large steps, small. All of it tells you something. Then there is the hair. Short, long, kept, unruly or just a mess. It too tells you lots about a hectic life or not. And lastly, eyes. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. I agree. Look at some persons’ eyes and you can tell their heart and where it is.
Here is secret number two. Someone is watching you. I was in the bank the other day when one of the tellers, I know them all, (forget about that machine on the wall,) asked me how I was. I said I was fine and she added, “That’s not what your face is saying.” Even I was being watched. It warmed my heart to know someone not only noticed but said something.
Even more important then someone else seeing me and noticing, is a God who notices and cares. My bible tells me that He is watching me and watching out for me. He sees not just my face and what it tells Him, He also sees my heart and knows it.
A mother sat quietly talking with a little girl in the food court. The usual aroma, food, and noise all about. It was easy to tell they didn’t notice anyone else around them. You saw it in their faces. Mom was looking and talking intently as the petite blonde haired girl was smiling from ear to ear. You could tell by the face, it was glowing and taking in everything mom said. Then with an even greater glow, the girl started to talk to a listening mom. What a sight. What an experience to see it. And yet, we can have the same experience. We can experience it each and every day when we look up into His face and we hear, “yes my child . . . ”
Something to think about.
Rob