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Bible reading, blogging, faith, humor, insanitybytes22, life
Anyway you want! Read it while hanging upside down off the bed and eating cheese puffs. Go on line, find a voice that is pleasing to you, and have it read to you like a bed time story. Doesn’t really matter how you go about it, as long as you are taking it in, like regularly putting gas in your car or checking the oil.
My parents were atheists, the Bible was absolutely forbidden, so naturally I read it from cover to cover in as many versions as I could get my hands on. When I was 3 my grandmother taught me how to read and there was some concern over whether or not I should actually learn on account of the fact that there were things in the world that could influence me if I knew what they said. I had no idea what a Bible even was, but eavesdropping on that conversation convinced me I needed to throw myself into reading, learn diligently, and find a Bible as soon as possible.
The next thing absolutely forbidden was CS Lewis, so it should come as no surprise that I have read everything he wrote and that I am a resident of Narnia to this day, a daughter of Eve.
I believe I stole my first Bible and probably my 3rd one too, and read them mostly out of spite and rebellion, so those who think I was just magically born a grace filled, submissive prairie muffin, you make make me laugh!
‘Reading’ itself is not necessarily understanding or applying what you’ve read. As a kid I had some awareness of what I was reading, but honestly it was more a matter of forbidden fruit, of searching those pages out, trying to discover what had caused so much offense. It wasn’t until I discovered Narnia that I really began to fall in love with the words and the ideas being conveyed.
Some people say the Bible is God’s love letter to us. Some people call it instructions for life. I know farmers who think it’s an almanac. I call it a love story between God and His people. It is full of romance, adventure, history, allegory, song, and poetry. My favorite way to read the Bible these days is to close my eyes, feel the music, and let the Author read it to me. Even better, close your eyes and let the Bible read you.
I’ve probably spent decades now contending for my own faith. Over and over again I’ve gone, I don’t like this part Lord, show me what it means. And He does too, faithfully! Either I have had this unresolved, unhealed issue, or else my understanding was skewed. Either way, He has always helped me to sort it all out. Being in fellowship with others really helps too, they can impart their wisdom on you. Everybody sees things ever so slightly different. I am constantly discovering new things to this day.
About the only thing I can’t stand is when we read it publicly, stilted, solemn, haltingly. Oh my goodness, I am just bouncing up and down, the entire pew is just going to explode, and it takes all I have not to jump up and say, Hey, that word is alive and breathing, sharper then a two edged sword, and we are not supposed to be having a funeral here and sounding really bored and depressed!
Talking to you, my dour Presbyterians….
The Bible excites me, it is thrilling, a grand adventure, and sometimes a lonely one, too. You would be surprised by how many people in the faith don’t read it, don’t share your excitement, and actually have Bible trauma, as if reading it were a chore, like going to the dentist. I want time to let the Lord whisper His sweet nothings in my ear and others are just picturing a root canal.
One can read the Bible in big chunks and there are even chronological versions and numerous videos that tell the Bible story as a history, as a series of events and covenants. When I study something, I am more inclined to want to taste and touch it and feel it, especially the culture. I once got to spend some time with some Jewish friends feasting, dancing, singing, and they really helped to bring the Bible alive for me. Taste and see that God is good, that’s in the Bible.
Above I said ‘reading’ itself is not necessarily understanding or applying what you’ve read, but that’s okay, simply getting it into you is still a download of sorts. Jude is a rather small, obscure book in the Bible, one we don’t usually put on coffee cups and yet, oh boy when I really needed those words they just popped up, the whole chapter, and the Holy Spirit was speaking to me rapidly, pulling out things I had no idea I had written somewhere on the tablet of my heart. Life will come at you fast sometimes, be a prepper for your spirit and read the Bible. Never in a million years did I think the book of Jude would apply to my life and drop wisdom on my head right when I needed it, but it sure did.
Everyone is a little different, different personalities, and different seasons of life. God speaks to us all in different ways, in a voice and a language that only we will really understand. Some people are more analytical, some are more musically inclined, and just when you think you’ve got your style and language preferences figured out, the Lord will switch it up on you.
My favorite word in the Bible is the very first one, “IN.” That one little word doesn’t translate into English so well and it has profound implications. Don’t overlook those tiny words, they provide our context, our own orientation and placement in the story. Are you IN? Are you IN for an adventure?
Are you IN Christ Jesus and is He in you?
Debbie L said:
I’m IN!!!
This makes me want to have a cup of coffee with you and talk for hours about our mutual favorite Book!!!
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insanitybytes22 said:
Oh yes, having coffee with you and talking about the Bible would be so much fun! I think of you sometimes when I am walking the beach. We are on the same beach, or at least if I kept walking for a really long time I would eventually get to you. 🙂
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Rebecca LuElla Miller said:
I thought Debbie was going to say she wished she had a coffee cup that said IN!! I’d buy that! 😉
Becky
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Randy Epps said:
I am 69, creeping quickly to 70, and I am still working as a chimney sweep and a window cleaner. My favorite part of every week is when 4 – 8 of my “brothers” gather around a table on Thursday mornings to let a portion of scripture direct our discussions of our still growing relationships with the One who changed us. I never fail to leave energized, and looking forward to the next week. Physical energy (could be the coffee!) and a deeper spiritual energy that directs my thoughts to His plans for me carries me through the chance encounters that are not so much chance, but planned.
I have tasted, and I have seen! The LORD is GOOD!
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insanitybytes22 said:
Amen, Randy! What a great comment. The LORD is GOOD! I am pleased He has you energized and in good health, too.
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atimetoshare.me said:
Every day is new in the Bible. There seems to be no end to its applicaion in our lives. Even though it was inspired many many years ago, it sill serves its purpose. As I draw near the end of my time on earth, I’m still find new material. Greatest book ever!
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insanitybytes22 said:
yes, amen! It really is the greatest book ever.
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Clyde Herrin said:
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you, Clyde. Much appreciated.
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seekingdivineperspective said:
Haha! I started reading this thinking of what the now-cancelled Dr. Seuss would have said about Bible reading. (“You can read it in your house. You can read it to a mouse …”) Then realized that as I always suspected, you and I have a lot in common.
I am a Narnian, too. When I was not yet a parent, I read all of the Narnia books to my nieces and nephew, the six children of my friend who died of cancer when they were still very young, and even had a “reading time” the kids at the yacht club in the summer! Then another five times or so with my own children as soon as they were old enough (once a summer for five years, at the summer home with no TV).
I was never forbidden to read the Bible as a child, but I WAS put to bed about an hour too early every night! Most of my early Bible reading was done by flashlight under the covers, and the Lord didn’t seem to think that was a naughty thing to do. He spoke some wonderful things to me in those times. ❤
I'm glad I caught this post. As I mentioned, I haven't seen all of your posts and Lisa V's, and I have been unable to "follow" again. (No button for it, since I've already done it.) I'll have to trust that the ones I need to see, I will. Have a blessed weekend.
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Vincent S Artale Jr said:
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging and commented:
Such a good post. I’m partial to Alexander Scourby’s reading of the Bible. Blessings!!
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you Vincent. Much appreciated. 🙂
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Vincent S Artale Jr said:
My pleasure!!
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Rebecca LuElla Miller said:
Great post, IB. I love that picture! One of my all time favorites.
I identify with reading out of rebellion. Once my brother joined a Nancy Drew book club without my parents’ permission. He and my sister, I think, both older than I. But my parents weren’t happy. They wanted to vet the books first, so took the first one away. I found it and started reading, sort of like a tease, because I was reading in front of my mom. It took her a while to realize what I was doing, and I got into the story enough to know I’d like to read more. But that’s our nature: I don’t doubt that I would have been reading the Bible along with you if my parents had forbidden it.
But here’s a really cool thing: about a year ago, my neighbor asked if I would read a chapter of the Bible with her after our walk. She wanted to do Psalms, but since we finished, we went to Luke and now to Acts as well as a chapter in Genesis. It’s still amazing to me. I just think God’s Holy Spirit put the desire in her to know the Bible and ultimately to know more about Him. He is such a gracious God!
Becky
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Squid said:
Dang, IB! You hit this one out of the park!! I’m gonna be focusing a lot more on the word “In” now 🙂
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