Since I haven't had a routine devotional in a while, I decided to poke around BibleGateway.com for some Bible study resources. At this point, I'm not all that interested in reading full blown devotions; I just want some quality time in the Word, to hear God, to be with Him, and to hear what He has to say.
I chose to go with the Chronological Bible Reading Plan (61 days). This plan is perfect for me right now, because it'll get me reacquainted with the Word and orient me as to the arrangement of content. Kind of like reading the Table of Contents in a new book and then skimming over the subheadings.
Once I'm done with this plan, I think I'll pick up My Utmost for His Highest. Or not. I'd love to do an in-depth study of Romans again.
But I'm into Day 3 of the chronological plan. Tonight's reading was from the Book of Job.
The thoughts I found most astounding:
- When Job's friends saw him, they didn't recognize him for how badly he'd been marred by disease. They were so overcome with grief at only the sight of him, they sat with him in utter silence for an entire week, because they could just feel how deep and dark his despair truly was. Regardless of what transpired later in the book, these friends genuinely loved Job. They shared his pain. If we all had friends that close....
- When God finally relieved Job's agony, He accepted him again so quickly, expediently. Almost every chapter of the Book of Job portrays the man's misery in great detail. And the chapters of God's monologue...powerful and overwhelming. Yet, toward the very end, Job repents and glorifies God. Job spoke only five short verses, ending with "Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," and immediately, God accepted him.
- The book ends on a most beautiful thought...I felt like my heart would just burst with joy: "So Job died, being old and full of days." Full of days.... Full of days blessed by Almighty God Himself. I cannot imagine....
This Old Bible
The Bible I have now is the same soft-bound leather, giant print that was given to me when I was about ten years old. The pages are falling out in clumps, several pages are torn, but none are missing. The margins are scribbled with notes in blue ink, and lines throughout are starred, circled, and underlined.
I love that Bible. It's a part of me now, but each time I read it, I have to hold it so carefully by the spine so I don't lose any part of it, or what's left of the binding doesn't rip and come undone.
I've considered investing in a new Bible, but I don't think I could. It wouldn't be the same. This Bible from my childhood is almost like a cloth wrap for my faith. It holds so many tears of pain and joy, answers to tough questions, stories that made me happy.... It would be like putting away all the years of my life walking with the Lord. If I had a new Bible, my mind would always return to this old one. It feels like home.
4 comments:
Hi Melody!!
Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I can't tell you how much your prayers mean to me! I know that we are not the only ones in the same predicament. It's a hard time for alot of people these days isn't it?
We have someone in common... Lisette Cole... she is a gem! Love her so much! Bless you this day.... Amy
It won't be the same. I held onto my confirmation bible & held onto it though the covers were gone, the spine coming apart & the pages falling out but I have had to replace it & though my mother gave me her old RSV as it is a version no longer available it is not the same. I have trouble orienting myself. It does not fall open at my favourite passages. It is not laid out in the way I know. I have had terrible trouble trying to adjust to a different bible but at least it is the version I know. My oldest dd wished to do bible memory with me for a while but so many passages I knew by heart already in the RSV version that she got muddled & now just learns them herself from her new theologicaly correct but lacking for poetry version but I am taking very good care of my present bible as It has to last me to my very last day here on earth now. :)
i love my bible/got mine when jesus saved me from me!!! seventeen! yep yep.. :-)
mine is precious to me too, melody~ thanks for sharing your heart here on this..
i love what my houston buddy,eva, wrote in her windows space blog.
bless you friend, lis
April 23
Marked!!!!
There are a lot of things marked in my Bible...in the front, there are special notes, like the dates of my kids' salvation. And notes...lots of notes. Some reveal the depths of my heart, like when I'd lost a loved one and the Lord comforted me with Scripture. Others are verses I was clinging to...sometimes with great joy...other times, I was holding on for dear life!!!
For example:
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Ps 116:15 (in memory of missionary friend Carolyn Campbell dated 1-14-05)
Michael Joseph Wallace was blameless. Not perfect. Only Christ is perfect. 2 Pet 3:14. In memory of my 21 yr old nephew that SEEMED perfect. A gentle giant.
On parenting:
Affirm
Build bridges
Choose battles carefully
On WORDS:
Is it TRUE?
Is it KIND?
Is it NECESSARY?
Random verses the Spirit prompted me to write:
Revive me, o Lord, for your Name's sake! Ps 143:11
Too deep for words? Rom 8:26-27
And random places where I've written notes to myself:
Eva, are you pleasing God? Rom 8:8
Eva, be a vessel of mercy. Rom 9
Eva, owe love ~ nothing more! Rom 13:8
Eva, you're accountable to God ~ for your SELF! (Rom 14:12)
Eva, your faith is in the power of God! (1 Cor 1:22)
Eva, submit to Barry as you submit to Christ in EVERYTHING (Eph 4:24)
Then, there are other parts of the Bible that I've filled in with notes during sermons...like, from James 3
Roots of Worldly Wisdom:
Bitter jealousy: you have something and afraid you'll lose it. Or that someone will have better than you.
Selfish ambition: do you change your story as you go along?
Lying against the truth: we know the truth but build a case against it. Defending a lie?
Roots of Godly Wisdom:
Purity ~ not by nature, but by the Spirit
Peace ~ doesn't cause strife
Gentleness ~ considerate of others
Willing to yield ~ reasonable, open to discussion
Merciful ~ compassionate about the things God cares about
Good fruits ~ more good than bad
Without partiality ~ unwavering
Without hypocrisy ~ without masks
Ouch! that makes me want to go back to square one. Back to the day I turned my life over to Christ Jesus. Jan 24, 1982. That's a lot of years. Should be a lot more markings in my life...more good fruits than bad. I can't change the past...but there's still today...it's not too late for me to make a difference today!!!
I also found another special reminder my Bible, in my own handwriting:
Many pages of my own Bible are marked. But while I was at my brother's house, i was reading his Bible and noticed that there was only thing written there:
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You
Psalm 25:21
This is a reflection on my brother's life, and I pray it will be mine, too. dated June 24, 2006
And, last, but not least:
Many people mark their Bibles, but does the Bible mark YOU?
oh! i almost forgot.. you're looking at the scriptures/job..
i read a book back in early spring this year.. 'praying through sorrows', great book! by chris jackson/dutch sheets helped write...
love his humble writing and realness.. amy's read it, and i've bought a few copies for some gfriends here in town.. they have been blessed by it, too...
this is from the amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Through-Sorrows/dp/B000JMKU5Y
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Product Description
Doubts, depression and discouragement are characteristic responses of someone who has endured an experience of 'bad things happening to good people.' When a promise from God does not come to pass, the aftermath is often confusion about validity of a personal relationship with the Lord. In Praying Through Sorrows, co-authors Dutch Sheets and Chris Jackson confront the emotional anguish awaiting the arrival of a long delayed breakthrough. Forsaking any cliche about the patience of Job, Praying Through Sorrows shows how one overcomes the debilitating state of 'hope deferred making the heart sick,' while seeking a restoration of faith in God's goodness.
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