Job 16:18-21 (MSG)
"O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me!
Don't muffle my cry!
There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me,
in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name -
My Champion, my Friend,
while I'm weeping my eyes out before God.
I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God
as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor."
My daily Bible reading on Thursday of last week is from the Book of Job. As I read, the verses above jump out to me as never before. How could I have not seen them for what they are in all the previous years I've read the Bible all the way through?
How could I have missed out on this most powerful prophecy? This most convicting and enlightening promise of the Lord's entering into the world by way of Christ Jesus, the only One who represents mortals before God?
I've heard it said that we can encounter the same scripture, time after time, and yet, depending on where we are on our spiritual journey, those words will speak to our hearts with a fresh, new meaning. Presenting us with revelations and realizations we neither anticipate nor imagine.
I think, in this incident, God is sending me a wake-up call.
His Word is perpetually alive, vibrant and life-changing. But how am I paying attention to the message? Am I fully engaged in the daily readings, or haphazardly going through the motions of checking Bible study off my to-do list? The former is, hands down, preferable to the latter!
And this time, as I'm perusing the Book of Job, I am aware that I am fully present. Taking my time as I read and reread, savoring the words and their meanings for my life. I'm in no hurry. There is no agenda outside of what God wills.
I want to hear God speaking.
And He does, loud and clear!
How can I be anything but thankful for that?
I can't.
So my prayer today, for all of us, is to never read the Bible casually, but with intensity, open to any revelation God might share through His Word. It is our expectancy, our longing, our hope, and our faith that, when combined with humility, allows God's truth to speak to our hearts and our souls.
I know I want to hear from Him.
Again and again.
How about you?
Amen!
Dear Friends,
Once again, I'm taking a short break from blogging, i.e., there won't be a post this coming Friday, but I will be back here on the following Tuesday. I will be paying my mother a long overdue visit, and as most of you know, she lives in the land of No Computers. So have a wonderful week, and I'll see y'all soon!
And always, love and blessings!
Wonderful Martha! I am reading through the OT right now. Taking my time. Not skimming parts of it like I have in the past. At times boring and tedious but at other times enlightening. I read from Number 21-25 the past couple of mornings. New insights. Fresh teaching. I'm loving the slow pace.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Bill! Slowing down and savoring the words is key to our understanding. And yes, I have to agree, that some parts of the OT are difficult, but there are some wonderful stories and lessons to learn if we practice patience.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great thoughts, I know I do what you often describe... Read through just to check it off my list. I have been trying to slow down more and take my time. The Bible should never be considered "fast food" which you simply devour so you can move on... It should be considered a fine delicacy which you savor and enjoy every bite.
ReplyDeleteRyan, I love your analogy here - not fast food, but a delicacy to be enjoyed - perfect description! Now, for us to do so? Let's be determined to make that happen with God's help.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Wonderful post today, Martha. Thank you. Have a nice holiday visiting your mother and enjoy yourself. See you again soon.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you all.
So glad you enjoyed the post today, Victor! And I do plan to enjoy my time with Mom - she is 90, and there's no telling how long she'll be around, though she is in excellent health.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Great post, Martha! His Word is revealed to us over and over--it is amazing how we can see new things in the same words at different times in our lives. Thank you for this powerful post.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, My Friend!
It is amazing, Loralu, I agree completely! The Bible never grows old - something new to see and understand every time we read it.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh, Martha! Yes and AMEN! Like you, I desire to never read the God's holy words written to us "haphazardly going through the motions."
ReplyDeleteThank you, for the encouragement to engage with God through Scripture—taking our time to "listen."
Bless you for sharing. I'm sure others will be blessed as I was.
Your kind words are so appreciated, Beckie! I do hope others will do a self-check on how they are studying, or not studying, the Bible, and make a conscious choice to pay better attention to how God is speaking to them.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I'm so with you, Martha. I, too, want to read and reread and savor what God has to say personally to me. It's amazing how words we have read many times can have special meaning at certain times in our lives. I wonder, too, sometimes why I have always concentrated on certain verses in a passage and have totally missed a verse with so much meaning. Have a safe trip and blessed time with your mom! Love and blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteTrudy, I think it's something all of us can identify with. We are not always on our "game" when we think we are as we read His Word. I absolutely loved how God spoke to me in this passage, reawakening me in heart, soul and mind. I know I've been awakened to truly pay full attention from now on!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, I too have such a deep longing for Him to speak to me! Enjoy your time with your mother, and may the Lord bless and protect you while you are gone. Looking forward to visiting with you here when you get back home!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheryl! God is speaking to you, each and every day, and I know you are tuning your ears and your heart to listen. I'm not leaving until Saturday, so I'm going to be reading/responding to everyone's blogs up until that point. I just knew I couldn't field any comments from my own over the weekend.
DeleteLove and blessings!
i firmly believe that this type of prayer request is honored and fulfilled by God. He too wants a deeper relationship with all of us - we just need to seek him. What a great God we serve!! He is calling you!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Jean! Our awesome God is calling to each of us, and we need to respond in awareness and willingness to hear His voice. May He bless us all with His continued presence.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Treasure your time with your mom. Your post is such a blessing.
ReplyDeleteI will treasure the time with my mother, Terri, and I'm so gratified to know that you found this post a blessing. Praying that you are feeling better with each passing day!
DeleteLove and blessings!
This was powerful! I need to read through Job more carefully it seems. Thank you for pointing this out to us. Yes, we do have Jesus as our high Counselor, our Advocate before the Throne of God. We are blessed to be His children. Now, your mother is blessed to have YOU for her child! Go enjoy her and don't think about this here at all. We know you will come back full of blessing and new insights and stories to encourage us! Have a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pamela, for your well wishes for my visit. I'll be there Saturday through Monday, so will still be active on the internet until then.
DeleteYes, Job is truly a powerful book to encounter more fully and deeply. I'm convinced that we miss so much of God's wisdom when we don't spend time in the OT.
Love and blessings!
Martha, hi! Verses from The Message always hit home for me. I love the fresh revisiting of God's Word yet again.
ReplyDeleteAnd oh Job ... what a book to sit with.
I love The Message, too, Linda. It's my go-to for the OT especially. And Job? Oh, it's an amazing book, isn't it? I'm so enjoying reading it again.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, you're spot on about reading the Scripture--we see it with fresh eyes each time--God's Word should grow old, stale--it's a living, breathing document. It's wonderful how we sometimes have a Scripture passage leap out at us, even when we've read the Word of God dozens of time.
ReplyDeleteKeep on reading the Word and let it read you!
Love and blessings!
Oh, Kim, I love this: "Keep on reading the Word and let it read you!" Perfect! God knows exactly what we need to hear when we need to hear it. He is speaking, and I'm all in with the listening.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Amen Martha. I'm continually amazed at how many truths come to me from verses I've read a million times. God's word is so rich. So simple a toddler can understand it (Jesus loves me) but so complex it confounds the most intelligent! Blessings Martha!
ReplyDeleteMike, you are so spot on here! Yes, easy enough for a toddler, but rich in depth and meaning so that the Word never grows old or tiresome. It is new and fresh each and every day. What a treasure God has given us!
DeleteLove and blessings!