Scripture Journal #1: My Bible

The Bible used to bore me to death.

Just so we’re clear, I’m talking about the Christian me here not some unsaved version.

Growing up in a Christian home where we went to church (almost) every Sunday, reading the Bible was commonplace.

But it was never fun.

Sure there were a few scenes here and there that enthralled me.

But it was never fun.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone interjected with a huff and puffed – Well, the Bible’s not supposed to be fun. It’s supposed to be serious, holy stuff.

Well, yes, it is serious. The Word of God is most certainly holy like He who inspired it.

So surely the same God who creates babies who are curious and fun-loving must have some sense of adventure in Him.

I wanted His Word to be fun. I wanted to get lost in wonder and mystery.

But for many years, I read the Bible because I was supposed to, not because it captivated me.

And oh how I wanted to be captivated.

Rubber met the road in a pivotal season where I was desperately trying to connect with God on a level deeper than I had ever been.

I had nothing left to give but honesty.

Lord, I’m bored to tears over here. I get this is Your Word and I’m supposed to read it but You’re God. Isn’t there a way You can make this remotely enjoyable? Or do I have to miserably trudge along?

Silence.

Sigh.

Trudge along it is.

But then something strange and magical began to happen as I was trudging along.

The Holy Spirit showed up.

That’s when I realized I’d been doing it wrong.

Here I was on a grand tour without an absolutely necessary tour guide.

All the people in the Bible who had seemed so far removed from me started to make perfect sense.

He began to show me the relevance of stories from millenia ago to my present day.

I found myself laughing out loud at a passage I read and stopped mid-laugh in surprise.

Here was the fun I had searched for for so many years.

Here was the wonder and the mystery.

Here was God.

It’s one thing to read an account of a God’s existence and His interaction with humanity.

But it’s something else to have Him right there with you, sharing His heart and mind about every moment.

It’s easy to get so caught up fulfilling a religious quota that we lose sight of what the Bible really is – a beginning not an end.

An invitation to get to know God better. To seek clarity on the things that don’t make sense. To wrestle with Him over the things we don’t agree with.

You can read the Bible and leave full of information but utterly lacking revelation. It takes the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God to man.

I’d hardly call myself an expert theologian. But I do know what it means to be a Christian working out my salvation daily. I know what it feels like to be shaken and transformed by the Word. I know what it looks like to encounter God in and through the Bible.

The same book that so many have called proof of His non-existence or per chance should He really be out there somewhere, oh what a terrible being He is, I have found to be proof of His love and wonder. Perspective matters. But far more importantly, the Holy Spirit is indispensable.

Scripture Journal is what reading the Bible with the Holy Spirit as my companion looks like. No formulas or templates. Just two friends together on a journey.