Tag: promises

Do You Struggle to Read the Bible? (Part 1)

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I get it – the book itself is massive and it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start, but start you must. This book is no ordinary book. I often joke and say it should have a label saying “WARNING: This book will seriously wreck your life”. Of course I mean in a good way.

Before I read it, life was pretty comfortable and sweet and then this book opened up a whole other world of possibilities. Who knew that walking on water was a thing, that sickness being healed could happened and that the dead being raised was even an option?

In can often create an uncomfortable gap between what we read and what we experience – but the point of this post is that I want to inspire you to read it.

What’s below is conglomeration of notes and thoughts from a few books that would be worth reading at some point: How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, The Celebration of Discipline and Lead Like Jesus

Why even bother?

I have heard it said that the bible is like a manual, and I agree to a point. The problem with that – who actually reads a manual right? We prefer to try first and if all else fails then we go check the instructions. So thinking of it as a manual doesn’t appeal to me personally, but even if you only ever view it as manual for life, it will prove itself useful. God, the author of life has the beta on what it’s all about so His words about life will definitely help point you in the right direction.

I get more excited when I think of the bible as an invitation. The bible is an invitation into a conversation with God. Conversation is how all relationships are built and scripture is God’s side of conversation with you.

The Bible is an invitation into a conversation with God

This book is profitable (but only if you read it).

Ways That You Can Build the Habit of Studying the Bible..

(These headings are taken from Lead Like Jesus: Ken Blanchard & Phil Hodges and I found it super helpful.)

1. Listening

In early tradition, scripture was heard as opposed to read. Jesus talked a lot about hearing the word, and in the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15) He presents four different scenarios as to what happens when the word (the seed) is heard (sown). Hearing the word was how the early church engaged.

There is something different and unique about listening to scripture and often I hear it differently to when I simply read it. Listening to the Gospels and listening to the words of Jesus bring a new dynamic to his words.

So if you’ve never thought about listening to the bible, here’s some ideas to get you going.

  1. Sermons, Podcasts
    • (listen to good bible teachers who actually open and teach from the bible – who knew that preaching without it was a thing!)
  2. Audiobible
    • I love YouVersion for this. Pick a translation with an audio option, hit play and off you go. Reading as you listen helps maintain focus.
    • Tip – you can change the reading speed by selecting the sound icon (x1.5 is my preferred), their set normal speed seems a little slow.
  3. Visual listening
    • There are some fab dramas and movies out there that bring the bible to life.
    • A current TV series, that I just have to get in this post is The Chosen. Highly recommend that you watch this, it will make the bible come alive and genuinely get you excited about reading the New Testament.

With everything Bible related though, like the parable of the sower, it’s all about what you do having heard. This is a book that is supposed to be lived and that’s what makes it truly special.

Read Part 2 Here: Reading and Memory Work

Read Part 3 Here: Studying and Meditating

Problem or Promise

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About 6 weeks ago I started reading a book. Little did I know it’s pages would stir and awaken something in me.  Some books have a tendency to do that over other books – I don’t know whether it’s timely, or if it’s language with a different edge that brings something alive in a certain way. This book has done that for me.

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson – I highly recommend it.

It’s a challenge, a call, a manifesto on prayer. Bold expectant prayers, not begging God to do what he’s already done, but standing in the gap and praying his word into every situation.

The start of the book retells the story of Joshua – one of the greatest accounts of circling. Joshua the circle maker.  Joshua circled Jericho, and defeated an entire city by being obedient and listening to God.

It was this part of the book that has been stuck in my head for weeks now. A simple line that had me wonder what I’m circling. Am I circling a promise or a problem?

The question was asked  “What is your Jericho?”

My raw honest answer: “sickness” – I want to see sickness defeated in my family. That’s my Jericho – that’s what I want to see coming down with a loud bang and a thunderous cheer as it goes.

Mark Batterson shed an incredible light for me in that moment.

What if we stop seeing Jericho as a problem, but instead view it as a promise? After all, God had promised Joshua the land, so it was his for the taking. It was a promise he was circling not a problem at all. If we have learnt anything about God at all up until now, it’s that’s he’s always faithful to what he has promised. It might play out differently than we intended or expected but we can be sure He is the greatest promise keeper around.

How you view Jericho will determine how you walk around it.

If Jericho is a problem – the walk can feel long, disappointing, fearful, overwhelming, frustrating and full of doubt.

But if it’s a promise – if you believe with all your heart God will deliver because he keeps his word, then your walk changes. It’s confident, expectant, exciting, full of faith, hope and energetic. With each step, with each lap you are closer to the promise. He will surely do it.

I have had a change in mindset. I’m not circling sickness. I’m circling healing. I wish I could tell you how much this has changed my walk.

But I challenge you to try it.

Instead of seeing the problem, turn to the word and find the promise. What does He say? Then cling to it, hold onto it and get excited about how it’s going to play out. Even when circumstances don’t look great -when the opposite seems more true than His truth, keep circling. Keep your eyes fixed and keep going.

The irony in all of this of course is that I’m sitting writing this from a room in a Children’s hospital. I know what it’s like to see something in your heart and see something different with your eyes. I’m looking at my Jericho right now (she’s sitting playing mine craft on her iPad), but I know God is doing something. I honestly trust the bigger picture, his perfect timing that I know will make me smile one day when it all makes perfect sense, because it will.

I still have my questions. The bigger thing though I have at the minute is confidence in a God I know I can trust with all of my heart.

No matter what you’re facing at the moment – how you view it will determine what you do about it. Gods view and perspective is the best one we could ever have.

Lean in.

Hear his heart.

Learn his ways.

Trust his word.

He is so faithful and is cheering you on into your promised land.