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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Today finished out day 27 in the P90x challenge.  When I look at the amount of Scripture I have read in the past 27 days I am amazed.  Not because it is an accomplishment of great success.  Because let's face it reading through the Bible can be meaningless.  Yes, I just said that.

The Bible can be studied and read and still not be lived.  It can be learned, but never known.  When choosing a Bible reading plan, I was a bit skeptical and arrogant because I was overly focused on this fact.  The fact that scholars overthink the Bible and annoy me when they can't even love another person God created or don't even acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.  The fact that I have seen Christians use Bible Study to do things that weren't very Christ-like at all.  But just because a tradition has been ruined by some well-meaning person doesn't mean that we should dismiss it.  And we SURELY shouldn't write someone off for reading the Bible when we don't know anything about their heart or their walk with Christ.  I knew that Jesus wanted me to do this task.  Read through His word in 3 months.  Not for the accomplishment of it, but because I want it to change my heart and teach me something.  After all, most of Scripture is about the heart of the follower.  That is what God examines.

So, in my traditional exciting Bible reading I have been reading about Elijah and Elisha.  Reading stories I have heard all my life, but some of them haven't come to mind for years.  God's power and sovereignty displayed through jugs of oil, vats of flour.  Amazing miracles of laying on a dead child and bringing them back to life with descriptions that seem that you'd crush them to death!  And laughing when the Word says the dead child was warm and sneezed 7 times.  Who says God isn't a funny guy!

And miracles that on the surface may seem odd like God causing the head of an axe to float just because someone had borrowed it and was worried that it flew off and was lost and he had ruined his friend's tool.  Funny story.  Wonderful lesson.  God does what He wants when He wants for His glory.

And a reminder that our concerns and worries to Him are so important.  They are all important.  The death of the child, the absence of food, the loss of the axe head.

Sometimes I get all full of myself and think that God took so much from us last year when He took Gaby that I am so great and He must want some big purpose from me in life.  Who am I to think that because I felt that pain I somehow have a right to be something for God or be something to others?  I am constantly trying to get over myself.  Anything that God does through me or in spite of me is all Him.

Now don't mistake me, I don't think working to remain less is an excuse to not live my faith out.  I refuse to sit back and say oh someone else can do that, or God didn't call me to do that, God didn't give me that passion, or God will do it all the way He wants anyways and I don't want to get in His way.  Don't know anyone that ever did anything without trying and making an effort.  So, action is important, but only when your heart is beating in line with Jesus.

Amazing stuff this Bible holds.  Stories I arrogantly thought were written for others.  Stories I thought meant nothing.  Stories that lead my heart to act.

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