Dear Rose Park,
Some of you are a few weeks into a New Years’ Resolution. Perhaps for some of you that resolution has been to eat healthier and lose a few pesky pounds. For others that resolution might be to finish a project around the house or to finally clean out the garage. Still for others it might be to read one book a month or maybe to even read the bible more often.
For some, reading the bible is a tall task. We don’t know where to begin. We don’t know if we should start in the book of Genesis or the book of Matthew. Should we read it chronologically? Should we read it literally or figuratively? Which parts are poetry and which parts are history? Some of us read scripture a bit like a smorgasbord; we pick and choose a few items here and there when we think we need a boost. Others read scripture as if it were a fortune-teller holding secret knowledge about our future. Still others read the bible strictly through the lens of an ancient artifact finding particular interest in the historical context and culture. With all of these questions and concepts in mind, it can be so overwhelming we decide to not begin reading at all.
If you find yourself in that situation, I’d encourage you to try again but with a different approach. Rather than perusing Genesis to Revelation aimlessly or searching for hidden clues about your future in the epistles, I suggest you read and hear the pages of scripture as the Word of God. Meaning, this is the Creator of the world revealing Himself to you through the word written, the bible, and the Word made flesh, in Jesus Christ. To help you, Dr. J. Todd Billings, Western Theological Seminary Gordon H. Girod research professor of Reformed Theology, has developed a video-series to help shape our approach to the bible in the hope of ultimately becoming more Christ-like.
If you’re interested in this series, click here.
Ultimately, it’s my hope to help us engage in a more intimate relationship with God each and every day. A primary way we engage in that relationship is through reading the bible. If you grew up in the church then you’ve probably been told scripture is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119), but it’s also the revelation of God through the written word. God is revealing Himself and inviting you into a relationship with Him. This is all to say, there’s still plenty of time in 2023 to dive into God’s Word with your full self in the hope that you will be drawn closer to Him.
Grace & Peace,
