Hide n' Seek

When I was 8 I wrote in my Holly Hobby diary that I was going to "read my bible everyday."  I had received a bible clothed in a snazzy denim bible cover that Christmas from my first step-dad.  Somehow I knew it was a treasure that would lead me to Something bigger than myself.  But roller-skates, Barbies, and watching The Flintstones trumped flipping through the pages of that sacred book, and it would be 30 years before I actually followed through on the desires penciled into Holly Hobby's pages.

It isn't that I haven't read my bible. I have, just never all the way through,  and not consistently. I meant to, everyday I meant to... but most days I just didn't.  Eventually, I was ashamed that I had neglected drawing near to God through His word, so like Adam and Eve, I hid.  My Bible, which was always handy, and giving the impression it was being faithfully consumed, would call out to me like God called out to Adam and Eve, "Where are you?" The Author knew I was hiding; avoiding my shame behind a few more minutes of sleep, dishes, laundry, home-schooling, church activity, blogging, t.v., and anything else that could prevent me from "having the time."

And I don't know how, but a little over a year ago I got sick of playing Hide n' Seek with my bible, and wanted to be found reading it.  

I was determined to not only read my bible daily, but to also read through it in 1 year. Because I function best with structure and accountability, The Daily Message, by Eugene Peterson was the perfect fit  (it's available for $3.00 here, and available for download  here). 

It took me 1 yr and 17 days, but I did it!  Because "old habits die hard,"  the 17 additional days were needed to polish off the 2.5 of the 66 books that I had put off reading. Also, you should know that there was a number of times I'd have to cram in days of reading I'd neglected (just keep'n it real folks).

These words from C.S. Lewis sum up why it's important for believers to read the word of God.    

As I read, God magnified Himself to me in ways that I would have missed had I not sought Him in his word. Instead of remaining as C.S. Lewis said, " a man glimpsing the Atlantic," I joined the masses of those (Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Jeremiah, Matthew, Peter, Paul, John... to name a few), who have gone before me and experienced and charted the "Atlantic" first hand. 
    
As a result, I've come to a greater understanding of God as Sovereign Lord. I've experienced that He is  "more than I can fathom, more than I can guess, and more than I can see with human sight." (Sara Groves)

Live in Peace!