There are some basic questions I automatically ask someone when they tell me they are having a spiritually low point in their life or they feel disconnected to God: 1) Are you reading your Bible, 2) Are you spending time in prayer?, and 3) How is your diet and sleep? \u00a0I rarely need to go past question number one. \u00a0When I ask about why the person isn’t in God’s Word I receive numerous responses but rarely are they new. \u00a0“I’m not a reader”, or, “I try but I find it so ‘dry’ for me.” \u00a0The first answer is usually a product of answer number two. \u00a0You find Scripture “dry” and therefore you are not a reader. \u00a0If we were to be honest, if someone told us that there was a book able to reveal to us the secrets of life for peace and contentment and fulfillment we would become readers! \u00a0We would hop on Amazon.ca or boot it down to Chapters to pick up this incredible book ASAP…until the person tells us the book is the Bible. \u00a0Our perception of the Bible is what makes it dry. \u00a0If I told you there was a book containing the most incredible story of love and that story of love included YOU as being a recipient, that sounds much more interesting, doesn’t it?<\/p>\n
The reality is, the Bible is JUST THAT. \u00a0It is God’s love story with our world and with us as His creation. \u00a0It does offer the ways of peace, contentment and fulfillment. \u00a0It shows us God’s incredible love which encompasses us when we didn’t\/don’t love Him or want Him and how He reaches out to woo us back to His heart and pay for our wrong-doings that would otherwise eternally condemn us. \u00a0The first and most important filter we need to have when reading the Bible is “God is love.” \u00a0That means everything in the Bible somehow communicates God’s love even in the most disturbing of stories. \u00a0So, how can we read it so that it becomes more personal and more alive? \u00a0I have found one way that has been particularly helpful for myself. \u00a0First, I pray that God would be with me in my reading of the passage – that He would bring clarity and insight beyond my own perception. \u00a0Then, I read the passage and after reading it through a couple of times I then journal through it paying careful attention to how it communicates God’s love – especially God’s love for me. \u00a0In essence it’s like I am writing a personal commentary on the side. \u00a0Below I will post an example and I hope not only will it be helpful for those of you reading this incredibly popular blog (yeah right) but it will spur you on to at least trying this method for yourself. \u00a0May it bless you and fan your flames of love for God. \u00a0So grab a cup of coffee\/tea, crack open your Bible and read along with me. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Psalm 91 Reflections On God’s Love<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. \u00a0I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”<\/p>\n ~ I’ll say these things because God will deliver me from traps set for my destruction and the death-giving plagues of this world.<\/p>\n ~ Like a powerful bird of prey He covers me with his feathers and wings, claiming me to be his own to all challengers and dangers. \u00a0His faithfulness to me because of His love for me becomes a dependable shield\/wall even against seen and unseen dangers.<\/p>\n ~ Others may succumb to the darkness and it’s terrors — they may fall into and be consumed by it’s encompassing vacuum but I’ll not be drawn in…I’ll be nowhere near the hopeless death.<\/p>\n ~ But I will see the wicked get sucked down into it with the realization and shock of what is happening showing in their eyes.<\/p>\n ~ The Lord as my dwelling place (the place in which I live) is impervious to the disease of despair and the fever of performance fatigue. \u00a0Even the evils of this world will be transformed and muted into only good.<\/p>\n ~ For all of this, God will even enlist his army of angels on my behalf! \u00a0And they, on their mission\/command from God himself, will life and protect me. \u00a0Because of this I can live fearlessly (not foolishly) against those intimidating and poisonous forces who may desire to do me harm.<\/p>\n ~ In living with God, dwelling in His presence in this way with faith, trust and love, God says, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. \u00a0In knowing my name, he knows me.”<\/p>\n ~ O Lord, keep my grip strong to you, fan my love for you, reveal your name to me in such a way, so deeply, that I’ll never forget it and call on it often.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are some basic questions I automatically ask someone when they tell me they are having a spiritually low point in their life or they feel disconnected to God: 1) Are you reading your Bible, 2) Are you spending time … Continue reading