Recently I have read the Bible more than I
usually do. Now this may come as a surprise to some, since I actually read the
Bible more often. What could I mean by this seeming contradiction? When I read,
I normally read the Bible as a text to study. Now this is not bad. In fact, it
is part of loving God with your mind, which is something we should all strive
to do (cf. Matt. 22:37). However, I had not been reading it as a devotional—I
had not been reading it as something that can and should penetrate my heart and
lead to life change.
It is certainly true that academic study
should and often does lead to devotion. Sometimes, as in the case of Anselm and
his development of the ontological argument, devotion just is the object of
academic study or reflection on God. However—and this is especially true for
seminary students—it is far easier to focus on word meanings, theme, immediate
context, ancient setting, and theological and philosophical systems.
Reading devotionally has been really
refreshing. And I don’t mean to suggest that I turn my brain off while I read.
I still try to take note of the overall message and briefly scan the margins to
see what alternate translation is. But I try to avoid the full academic side
for a moment, gain the basic understanding of the context, and see what
applications I can make.
Note that this is still fundamentally
biblical study. But it is study with
a purpose of worship of God, prayer and communion with him, and life change. If
you haven’t been able to get jump started on this, I’d recommend starting
small. Finishing a letter of the New Testament in one setting is not only not
difficult, it allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment. Reading the whole
letter in a single setting also helps you not to miss the forest for the trees;
in other words, you tend to gain perspective about particular passages because
you see the whole letter develop in front of you. This can especially be true
in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. Well, really, it is true in all of them.
What lessons in Scripture is God teaching
you? What else might you add to what I have written?
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