keep reading the Bible

A 4-year task I think. At least, I’ve been doing this since I started on 43t. A study Bible, so it went very slowly. I’ve grown incredibly through the process.

For example, I never really learned Biblical history, since I really didn’t grow up in a church. For the first time in my life, I find myself literate on Biblical matters. Basic ones, that is.

Second, my relationship with God has changed more than I would have thought possible. Reading the Bible gave me a much more intuitive understanding of who God is. Listened to consistently, God makes sense. God reveals Himself in the Bible. He is clearly telling us I love you, loud and clear. It’s sad that we create so much noise in the world that we can’t hear that.

Third, I’ve actually become comfortable talking about God. It was a taboo subject for me before, but now I very commonly ask people about their beliefs, people of all kinds. It helps me understand them.

Fourth, I’ve come to rely on God. I know what His comfort feels like, and I know I can ask Him to come close when I need comforting. I never knew that feeling before.

Finally, I’ve invited God into multiple aspects of my life. I pray more, and more for other people. I have crosses in most if not all of the rooms in my house. I read other books, ones about religion. I want to soak up knowledge.

I have been dreading finishing it, wondering if I would fall off the wagon afterwards. But it’s not a problem: I know what my next task will be. I want to go through the NT again, more carefully, paying attention to the history more. Then I might go back to the OT. Then I might start to memorize things.

But I will keep reading and calling to God.

pages. I couldn’t possibly read more slowly….

And that’s freaking me out…the idea of being done with such a large task, and the decision about where to go from here.

I’m thinking I’ll reread the New Test., b/c a lot of it didn’t make much sense to me, just because I haven’t read it before. With some historical info, I think I would understand it better.

Oh, my!

Perhaps I’m missing the point. This book scared me as a kid, but the symbolism makes sense to me now. What is really striking is at about chapter 4 or 5, the writer gives a real sense of what worship is or should be, by describing the worship of God in his own rhelm.

I must have skimmed this book as a teen, because parts of it are familiar. I was frightened by them then, but now, in a context, they make sense. I think I’d write in code, too, if I were a prisoner.

I’m a little afraid of it. I’ve only glanced at it before, confused by the symbolism. But this is such a good thing—it means I’ve almost read the Bible! That is huge!

my favorite apostle, who writes about Jesus in a way that assures me that he is holy even when I’m not.

I’m already on 2nd Peter. I LOVE reading Peter. I am beginning to feel his personality through his writing.

Hebrews, which I think is one of the most beautiful and touching books in the Bible.

which is very deep and multilayered. NT concepts, OT quotes, moving back and forth. It really takes concentration to read.