Young Ladies Christian Fellowship » Biblical Studies

Dug Down Deep

Gretchen — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:11:38 +0000

I’ve always identified with Mark Twain’s line, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me—it is the parts that I do understand.” It’s been my excuse for staying away from theological debates, it’s been the reason you’ll find me more often in Psalms than in Revelations. But reading Dug Down Deep was a convicting reminder that I can’t get so steeped in simple tradition that I forget the reason I am living thus.

Sometimes it is easier to act like a Christian than to be a follower of Christ. But in his new book Dug Down Deep: Unearthing What I Believe and Why It Matters, Joshua Harris sounds a compelling call to dig down deep into the truths of why we believe what we believe so we will know how to live.

Every person reaches the point where they have to make their beliefs their own. I remember that point in my life: I was on my own for the very first time, at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, Colorado. I could have been whoever I wanted to be. But what my parents taught stuck. In two weeks away from home, I not only determined that my faith was truly my own, but I learned a whole lot about having a biblical worldview.

Now, seven years later, I am a parent myself. It is an awesome and humbling thought to realize that I have that same responsibility with my children. The question continually plagues me, how did my parents do it? How do I teach my daughter to love the Lord and His Word? How do I get her to build her life on that firm foundation? If she doesn’t see it in me, how will she make it her own? Only if my faith is dug down deep can my children see and follow it.

But Dug Down Deep is a book for more than just parents. It’s a book for the young adult I was not so very long ago, trying to figure out exactly what I believed. It’s for the pastor or teacher who wants a less textbook-like approach to outlining theology. It’s for anyone who wants an overview of the Christian faith. It’s for everyone who wants to be challenged in what they think about God.

The best thing about the book Dug Down Deep is that it continually points you to the Book of books. It is the sort of book to be read with a Bible in hand, the sort of book that will make you set it down and pick up the Bible instead.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). These words always bring me back to the simplicity of sanctification. This is why I obey. This is to be my motivation. People who love Jesus do what he says. They learn to obey him in the big and small parts of their lives. (Dug Down Deep, pg. 173)

(Thanks to WaterBrook Multnomah for providing this book for review!)

On the reading of the Psalms

Lanier — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:26:37 +0000

Little Gidding, Cambridgeshire, England

The following was written by a dear friend of ours and his sending it to Philip and me was something of a New Year’s gift. I know that you’ll all be glad that he gave me permission to share it with you:

Are you a Psalm skimmer? I confess that I am. I often find myself skimming through a psalm until I get to one of those familiar nugget verses, land there a little bit, and then keep skimming. This is NOT how one should read the Psalms. Every word is to be chewed and savored. Time must be allowed for this. Giving the Psalms (and all of Scripture) a quick glance like one would do to a blog or email is the quickest way to divorce God’s word from God’s Spirit. We have taken something sacred and made it common. As a result, we no longer experience the presence of God when we read. God will not be rushed. He will not be treated like a Facebook friend.

Maybe this is just a symptom of the times. “Face time” is no longer required for relationships. We’ve actually digressed in our interpersonal skills. Think about it. People used to walk next door and sit down and talk with their neighbor. With the invention of the phone we could call them and listen to their voice. With the invention of email, we could just write. With the invention of texting, we could reduce our relationship to short little abbreviations. At times I feel like we are becoming the ghosts of C.S. Lewis’s Great Divorce. There is little physical substance to our relationships. Is this really progress? Face time is too rare. It is rare because it requires two things – “face” plus “time”.

I fear that this new way we now relate to one another has spilled into our relationship with God. This is not just dangerous, it is spiritual death. Our relationship with God requires face time. Scripture cannot be merely scanned in order to get the gist of its meaning. Waiting for God cannot be like opening a slow webpage – “God you’ve got a few seconds before I move on.” God is never in a hurry and we cannot rush him. The Psalms remind us of this. They are full of patient waiting, worshipful meditation, and adoration.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. – Psalm 130.

During this new year, take time to take time before the LORD. Ask God to reveal to you the things that drown out his voice. Ask Him to show you the things that are controlling your day. Ask Him to show you how to change and to give you the strength to do so. This might be occasionally turning off your phone, or leaving your computer at work, or driving without listening to the radio, or killing your TV. Is there something in your life that you cannot turn off?

Our relationship with God requires quiet moments, patience, and passionate pursuit. He is our Rest, our Joy, and our Treasure.

In Your presence there is fullness of joy – Psalm 16.

On the cross, Jesus endured the absence of his Father, so that we might enjoy His presence. What a gift! Take time this year to receive it.

written by Rev. Joel Brooks, Redeemer Community Church

photography credit, Philip Ivester

My Redeemer’s Heart

Elisabeth — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:41:35 +0000

I sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of tea, opened my Hebrew Bible to the Jerusalem postcard marking my place, and began to read:

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah…

Three words in, I stopped.

I was reading Isaiah 61. Which meant that despite all the debate about whether first century Jews spoke Hebrew or Aramaic, I could be sure that these exact Hebrew words came out of my Messiah’s mouth:

Ruach Adonai Yehovah alai
The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on me
ya’an mashach Yehovah oti levaser anavim
because anointed has Jehovah me to announce to the meek;
shlachani lechabosh lenishbrei-lev
sent me to bind up the broken-of-heart,
likro lishvuyim dror
to call to the captives, “Liberty!”
vela’asurim pkach-koach.
and to the bound, “Prison-opening!”
Likro shnat ratson leYehovah…
To proclaim the year of favor of Jehovah…

and just as He begins the second sentence, He stops, closes the book, sits down, and says, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

That’s my Redeemer’s heart.

One Thing is Needful

YLCF — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:42:00 +0000

by Jeanne L.

The Biblical phrase above just came to my mind as I started pondering this article. Then I wrote, “I suppose this is yanking the phrase slightly out of its Biblical context” as I waited for a Bible website’s search results to remind me of its origin. I was thinking that it came from one of Paul’s epistles and had to do with “being all things to all men”– but I was wrong. It actually comes from Luke 10, and it is Jesus speaking:

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Lately I have been busy. Very busy. I have been busy keeping not only myself going and coming to the right place on time, but also doing a lot of chauffering for other family members and working on-the-job and on the side, and cooking and laundering and everything else that is always demanding time of all of us. I have also watched some interesting movies, have a fascinating book-on-cd perpetually going in my car, and am deep into a big biography of Florence Nightingale and her family. And of course, I’ve been “Reading My Bible”– at the end of the day, usually around midnight-1 a.m., for a few verses before nodding off. Needless to say, I have not been making much progress and have not been getting much out of it.

The gist of what I wanted to say when I began to write is this: I need a reminder, and maybe you do, too, about just what is necessary, what is important, in fact, what is vital. In my own life I’ve found that in general there is a “check” in my heart whenever I think, “I ought to pick up my Bible.” I don’t know why, but somehow, it is usually much easier to pass it over and pick up something else, turn on the computer, or get on to some waiting task. You would think it was a plate of lima beans by my attitude. And yet I have personally experienced the joy, discovery, and excitement that accompany Bible study when I am committed and consistent. When I look at it as fellowship with God, and cultivate within my own heart a desire to know Him and understand His ways, I am always immensely blessed and enlightened.

So what is my problem?! I wonder if it isn’t illustrated quite well in the passage above. Another version translates the beginning of verse 40, “But Martha was distracted with much serving.” I have often diagnosed my own spiritual apathy as a bad case of distraction, and I think I may be right. There are so many things happening in my life: things swirling around me, thoughts and emotions swirling around within me. So many things to do. So many things to worry about. So many problems that I must find solutions for. I bustle about like Martha– busy (sometimes I am even busy being lazy!) and tired and grumpy; I am convinced these things I am busy attending to are the “needful” things.

And I am distracted from what is truly needful– what Martha’s sister already knew: “And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” Perhaps Jesus is admonishing me along with Martha, across the millenia: “thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful”. One Thing– to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His word.

He is speaking today, the very Words of Life for my soul. Will I take the time to sit and listen?

Will you?

Worship Through Praise

Natalie Nyquist — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:26:00 +0000

In genuine spiritual worship (Rom 12:1), we bow before the Most High God, the most merciful and reliable and winsome of all beings, and we crown Him as Lord of all that we are. We consent to His gracious, transforming work in our lives; we agree that He can work in us so that we’ll be willing and able to do His will. In other words, we choose to let Him be God in our lives. This is our greatest privilege, the highest thing we can do.

Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. Some versions say He is “enthroned” upon our praises. When we praise, we enthrone God in our lives and circumstances, and He manifests His presence in a special way…praise turns on that mighty glorious presence and tunes us in to His sufficiency. We come filled to overflowing with Him. Our lives become a stage on which He, the leading Actor, reveals Himself in love and power, blessing both us and the people we relate to.

from 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers, 22, 119-120

5 Uses for the ESV Study Bible

Natalie Nyquist — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:53:00 +0000

The ESV Study Bible is finally here! Mine arrived on Monday and I’ve been enjoying exploring its pages in every spare moment. All of you who have ordered one will no doubt be doing the same; I don’t think that many will be disappointed by this study Bible. In my opinion it fulfills its goal of helping readers “to understand the Bible in a deeper way.”

There are many other goals fulfilled and uses possible for this Bible. In all seriousness (but with a bit of tongue-in-cheek on a couple points) here are my top 5 uses for the ESV Study Bible. Feel free to make your own additions to my list:

Reading. The ESV Study Bible provides the same thru-the-Bible-in-one-year reading plan as the Literary Study Bible. I’m glad because I think it is the best I’ve ever used. A few of the unique features: the readings go chronologically through the Old Testament (versus canonically) and the Gospels and Epistles are mostly grouped by author (e.g. I read Luke and then Acts). You can see this and other plans at the ESV main site.
Fashion statement. If you want a Bible that will make you appear deeply spiritual and theologically minded, this is the way to go. You will achieve best success with the premium calfskin binding, though the red and black color scheme of the hardcover makes a bold statement.
Private Study. With 80,000 cross-references right beside the text, this has to be one of the most exhaustive study Bibles available. Between that and the 80+ page concordance, you have a great base for word or theme studies. This would also be a good choice for a personal daily use Bible to mark up with sermon notes, prayers, spiritual journaling, and highlighting.
Muscle toning. This is a massive Bible. The hardcover edition weighs at least five pounds and will strengthen your biceps and triceps with consistent, daily use.
Reference and research. This is the first Bible I’ve seen that includes full-color maps, illustrations and charts throughout the text–not just in a handful of pages at the back. There is also a clever use of shading to help distinguish between various types of study notes such as commentary, summary, etc.
When the website said that this study Bible would be like a 20-volume resource library, they were telling the truth. At the back is what I would call almost an 150 page mini systematic theology plus many more articles. I must also mention the included online edition which allows you to make your own notes, listen to an audio recording, and use interactive links between the charts, maps, notes, and text.

As with every study Bible, the editors and writers approach it from their own personal perspective, doctrinal stance, and bias, but so far I’ve seen a desire to clearly distinguish between the infallible Word of God and the fallible words of men. They encourage you to start and end with Scripture itself, not allowing the notes and information to steal your primary focus and energy from God’s Word. This Bible’s notes are not going to knock you over the head with a denominational theological agenda. However, they admit they are Reformed evangelicals. Still, even if, like me, you don’t subscribe to all of their theology, there are abundant helpful notes and charts on history, culture, and themes.

My current focus of study is the Pentateuch. I’m finishing up reading it with the Literary Study Bible while beginning a second, slower read-through using the ESV Study Bible with Schnittjer’s The Torah Story and Merrill’s The Bible Knowledge Word Study. All the books happen to be very heavy hardcovers so I am getting more upper body muscle toning than I really wanted…

What are your favorite study resources? What are you reading right now?

ESV Study Bible and “The New Media Frontier”

Natalie Nyquist — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Serious bloggers and all who are seeking to use dynamic new forms of communication and “new media” should obtain a copy of The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ edited by John Mark Reynolds and Roger Overton. Anything with JM Reynold’s name on it (especially this blog) is going to get my attention, but this book also contains a foreword by Hugh Hewitt who inspired many of my literary journies.

Andrew Jackson, who also writes a great blog, gave a concise summary: “The New Media Frontier provides us with expert insight into the new media revolution transforming our lives and today’s culture and how it can be used as an effective communication tool for advancing the love and truth of God’s kingdom.” I particularly enjoyed the chapters on Theological Blogging, Blog as Microwave Community, and Blogging and Bioethics. Everyone from newbie bloggers to the experienced who carry a large daily following can glean helpful new ideas and insights from this book. The New Media Frontier releases November 16 so write yourself a reminder note!

And in other news, it’s only 10 days until the release of the ESV Study Bible. Though I’ve been using and greatly enjoying the Literary Study Bible (which has the best one-year Bible reading plan)the past few months, I’m impressed by all that has gone into creating this Bible. Once I have my copy in hand you will be hearing from me!

Links: Fred Sanders of the Scriptorium expresses my thoughts and hopes (and fears) far better than I could. Also worth reading is this piece where Justin Taylor, editor at Crossway, i s interviewed regarding the maps and illustrations. And of course you can read the official blog which links to the above plus many more.

Out of the Woods

Elisabeth — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:29:00 +0000

by Elisabeth A.

August 20, 2007

For about four years now, I’ve been making forays into the dense, confusing, nearly impenetrable world of the Hebrew Bible. I started out easily enough: with each English word conveniently underneath the Hebrew, I was practically led by the hand through many of the Psalms. Then I moved on to the Gospels in spare and clear modern Hebrew. Understand every word I did not; instead it activated a mental replay of the already deeply familiar Gospel stories in a curiously word-free manner. Sometimes, almost as if I was experiencing the story for the very first time.

In March I bought a Hebrew-English Old Testament and dived in, right where I happened to be in my regular Bible reading. The book of Numbers is actually pretty good material for a beginner: low vocabulary count; high number of repeated phrases. Deuteronomy wasn’t so easy, but soon I was happily back in narrative territory, where the thread of the story keeps you from feeling lost in the forest of unfamiliar words. Joshua, Judges, Ruth…

Then II Kings dumped me right into Isaiah. (Yes, the book order is that different in the Hebrew Bible). No comforting narrative thread, and large tracts of text that I don’t even understand in English, let alone a millennia-old language. Leaving this particular Hebrew exploration for another year sounded like a great idea to me.

But there was that column of English text standing patiently to one side of the page. What if I read a verse in English first, and then in Hebrew? I made my slow way through one chapter, then another. In many place, I had to go clause by clause: first English; then Hebrew. It was a chaotic and disorienting experience, like stumbling through a forest where I keep getting caught in the thick undergrowth and banging into trees right and left.

Then I reached a new chapter and read the familiar introduction: “In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up…” Line by line, those elusive Hebrew words painted a picture: the throne room, the unearthly attendants, an abject Isaiah, the coal from the altar… And then the crux of the conversation, each word distinct and as clear as crystal.

Et mi eshlach – “Whom shall I send?” U mi yelech lanu? – “And who will go for us?”

Isaiah’s reply was simple: just two words, but each came heavy with the meaning of several English words distilled into one.

Heneni. Shalacheni.

“Here am I. Send me.”

I’m still reading Isaiah. Still clutching the hand of my guide, that trusty column of English text on the left side of the page. It’s still a chaotic and disorienting experience, like stumbling through a forest where I keep getting caught in the thick undergrowth and banging into trees right and left…and every once in a while, coming upon a clearing with an incredible view.

Psalm 121

YLCF — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:05:00 +0000

I can still remember when I first read through the Psalms by myself. I was about twelve or thirteen – those changing years when emotions are often so keen and turbulent. I remember the intense awe I experienced, when I opened to a Psalm, and started reading my own feelings!

I had always loved the stories of King David; when I received my own Bible, the first section I read through was the complete story of David. What I hadn’t realized was that to read these Psalms was to read this man’s heart. I was amazed that King David, the man after God’s own heart, had the same feelings I did. I felt a kinship that spanned thousands of years.

I also began to realize that all peoples of all times are the same: neither better nor worse, happier nor more sorrowful, closer to God nor farther away. All are merely human. Our lives are always mountains and valleys. The Psalms are full of both the ups and downs of David’s life. And though the most intense ones may be the ones that cry to God for help, the ones I loved best were those that promised God’s help.

Because of their joy, I especially enjoyed the Psalms of the ascents. Of the two Psalms I memorized when I read through the book, one was a Psalm of the ascents–Psalm 121 stood out to me. Perhaps it was because in The Sound of Music Mother Abbess spoke the first verse to Maria. She used them as a statement “I will lift my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help”, but they are, in fact, a question. “From whence comes my help?” And the rest of the Psalm is the glorious answer.

My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out, and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Janna Rae lives with her parents, three sisters, and brother in the beautiful Willamette valley of Oregon. She loves to play her harp with her sisters in the quartet they have formed, Whispering Roses. She also enjoys reading, sewing, baking (desserts especially!), Irish Ceili dancing, and most of all, spending time with her family.

Anticipating October

Natalie Nyquist — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:43:00 +0000

There are several reasons that I am eagerly looking forward to October this year. Not only is it the month when the weather at home is simply scrumptious and perfect, it’s the month of my birthday, and that of my sister-in-law. Fall is at its peak with apple cider and campfires and hikes through fallen leaves.

But this year I am counting down to October 15th in particular. That is the date that the ESV Study Bible is being released. Surely you’ve heard about it by now…right? Personally, it is my favorite translation, though the NET Bible and the NASB are still too beloved to part with too.

This Bible is such a refreshing change from the lightweight, pop-devotional style popular in recent years. 20,000 notes, 80,000 cross-references, over 200 maps, 200 charts, and that’s just the briefest of summaries. You can read more at the blog. There’s also an option to read the Introduction to the Psalms. Granted, the notes should not receive more attention than the text itself. But this is still a true treasure, and more information and teaching than people in many parts of the world would ever hope to see in a lifetime. Let’s take advantage of it. The publisher has also produced it to last a lifetime. And be sure I will be talking more about this come October…

Job 20-22: Become one with Him

Elisabeth — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Being at peace with the All-Sufficient One means that I have shalom: peace, wholeness, completeness. Becoming one with Him begins by getting acquainted with Him. How? By listening to and internalizing His laws for living, returning to Him when I get off track, and giving Him my treasures so He can be my Treasure. When I am one with Him, what then? Effective prayers, victory where I once fell down, and joy in His presence.

Job 17-19: Know Him

Elisabeth — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:14:00 +0000

I can make a habit of knowing Him, to the extent that others will recognize my home as “the place of him that knows God.” In the midst of trouble, I can hold my course, showing Him I want to know Him by keeping clean hands, no matter how hopeless, fruitless, or irksome it seems. Who is it I know? Him who lives, who will stand visibly on this earth, and who is on my side. He is not a stranger, but the One who knows me.

Tsunami and Theodicy

Natalie Nyquist — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:12:00 +0000

A well-thought-out piece on suffering in light of the many natural disasters recently occurring around the world: Tsunami and Theodicy by David Hart.

Christians often find it hard to adopt the spiritual idiom of the New Testament — to think in terms, that is, of a cosmic struggle between good and evil, of Christ’s triumph over the principalities of this world, of the overthrow of hell. All Christians know, of course, that it is through God’s self-outpouring upon the cross that we are saved, and that we are made able by grace to participate in Christ’s suffering; but this should not obscure that other truth revealed at Easter: that the incarnate God enters “this cosmos” not simply to disclose its immanent rationality, but to break the boundaries of fallen nature asunder, and to refashion creation after its ancient beauty — wherein neither sin nor death had any place. Read more…

Job 12-16: Wait for Him

Elisabeth — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:11:00 +0000

Though He slay me, yet I can trustfully wait for Him. Though He slay my pride, my freedom, provison, fruit, hope…yet I can continue walking in His ways. Why? Because Resurrection is on His way. Like a felled tree that revives at the scent of water, we will revive at the arrival of Living Water. And while I wait for that final resurrection day, He performs lesser resurrections daily. His mercies are new every morning!

Living as a Witness

Natalie Nyquist — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:56:00 +0000

This involves “just you, winning one person to the Lord each year, training that person to live a victorious, reproductive Christian life—then the two of you doing the same with two more people the next year. Continuing in this activated, applying the principle of multiplication, your numbers would double each year thereafter…you and the people you discipled…will see six billion people come to a vital, thoroughly-grounded knowledge of the Lord in the early months of the thirty-third year.”
- Pg 27 of Personal Disciple-making by Christopher B. Adsit, Orlando: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1996

2 Timothy 3:12: And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

2 Tim. 4:2: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Photo of the central Californian coastline, taken by Natalie

Job 8-11

Elisabeth — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:00 +0000

Job 8-11: Figure Heaven In

To do my math correctly, I must take the “eternal weight of glory” into account along with this “light, momentary affliction.” The wrong sum: “Life is short, so eat, drink, and be merry.” The correct sum: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” I can exclude petulance, self-pity, and the idea that God owes me a good life by recalling that the wages of my sin is death, “but the free gift of God is eternal life.” I have so much to look forward to!

God’s Mercy

Natalie Nyquist — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:21:00 +0000

This Bible reading challenge surely is that–a challenge, but so far it’s been so enjoyable for me. It’s just so good to be reading all the diverse and powerful ways that the Lord has interacted with, blessed, and disciplined His people.

My opinion is that the Old Testament, as a whole, is more conducive to lengthy reads than the New Testament. Reading 16-20 chapters of a New Testament doctrinal book, it will be more difficult to soak in everything than it is to pull some over-riding themes from a long narrative about Israel’s prophets and judges. Am I the only one who so often wants to pause and dig into some story, question, or topic that strikes a particular interest? As much as I try to redeem my time, I want to grow even better at using the minutes given to me so that there is more time for intense Bible study.

A few interesting phenomena I’ve noticed over the past few weeks:

A disinterest in other reading. Very rarely do I read anything else. Aside from trying to keep up with the Book Society selection I am not bothering with any other reading right now. And I’m not missing it at all. In my life it has proven true more than once–when the Bible is all I have and/or choose to read, my pleasure in it grows and my interest in fiction especially fades away.
Vivid images while reading. For me this is because I have not done a survey reading of the whole Bible since I was in the Middle East two years ago. There are portions of the Old Testament that I have not read since then, and wow do they pop off the page! Especially in 1 Samuel, I was just reading last night about when the Philistines were seeking to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel. They sent it back on a cart pulled by two cows whose calves had just been taken from them. Without even trying I could see the rolling landscape in my head–I’ve stood in the area where all this took place. And coming up soon is the famous story of David and Goliath–already my mind has been taking me back to the Valley of Elah and the beautiful barren wilderness of that area.
God’s mercy. Whether it is a “coincidence” or not, the last few weeks have also been some of the most difficult in recent memory. On so many levels I have felt spiritual, physical, emotional attack. To the breaking point, at times. Yet through it I refuse to let anything keep me from the Book. It is a comforting stabling force amidst the chaos and horrors that seem beating down the walls of my world. I see God’s mercy and care through the long haul, through the “big picture” in my reading, too. Look at the multiple cycles of sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence (yes, I learned that in Bible Survey) that Israel went through during the period of the Judges. They did not deserve so many chances! Neither do we.

Well, it’s time to check on the dinner in the oven. And we’ll need to be leaving soon for church. I’m glad I had a few minutes to write some of my thoughts–I hope you will do the same!

Job 4-7

Elisabeth — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Job 4-7: Don’t Despise Chastening

Why? Because it’s planned, personalized, and limited by my Father, the One who is also ready to heal, bind up, deliver, redeem, rescue, hide, and provide for me. Since I’ve been chastened, I cannot despise others’ chastenings. In fact, rather than taking their questionings so seriously that I argue with them, I can remember the rash things I have thought when I was suffering, and turn their attention to God’s compassion and trustworthiness instead.

Meditations on Job – an ongoing series

Elisabeth — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:55:00 +0000

Job 1-3: Serve God for Nothing

If I serve God for nothing more than love, I can show it by praising Him for taking, just as much as I praise Him for giving. How? Through knowing that my most precious things are safest with Him. Like Habakkuk, I can — if He asks — relinquish my entire livelihood with the words “yet I will rejoice,” because He is my “Shield and exceeding great Reward,” the All-Sufficient One who never leaves me.

Through the Bible in 60 days!

Natalie Nyquist — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:02:00 +0000

February 1 – March 31. Those dates did not begin as my Bible reading schedule but as I finished up Revelation Monday morning I thanked God for the tremendous blessing of my first (of many!) journey of reading through the entire Bible in 60 days.

Only God knew the unbelievably perfect timing for this venture. Only He knew the trials and fire which would fill those two months. I could not have planned to begin reading Job just minutes before a heart-breaking phone call; I did not realize at the beginning I would get to read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John during the celebration of His Resurrection. God blessed me. His provision and love are abundant and beautiful to me!

Originally my goal was 90 days. A couple weeks ago I began playing with the idea of pushing myself to finish by March 31. My goal of reading through all the Gospels by Easter gave me the extra impetus needed to harness my so often-distracted mind and focus.

Have you ever read through Romans, or 1 & 2 Corinthians in one sitting? Paul’s arguments are masterfully built. Reading his letters as a whole instead of in chapter or verse bits makes that clear. The opportunity for a broad overview of Scripture combined with the speed which was set gave me some deeper understanding of portions of the Prophets as well as the almost continuous OT allusions in the New Testament. Instead of only knowing that a given verse was a quote from the Old Testament because of a footnote, I found myself remembering which book, even which chapter the quotation came from. Isaiah 54. Genesis 21. Daniel 11. Ezekiel 28. After all, I had read the Old Testament only a few days ago!

Today I finished Revelation 21 and closed my new-three-months-ago but now-very-worn Bible with a mixture of wistfulness and triumph. Now I am free to dive into some serious study that has been put on hold. That part makes me glad. But I so enjoyed this that I know I am going to be doing it again at least once a year. Perhaps after a few months off I will start again and see if I can do another read-through in 2008. Believe me, it is addicting!

I wonder if we do not often intimidate ourselves too much over the thought of reading “the whole Bible.” Speaking as a voracious reader, it is not that long. Shorter than a Hugo or Tolstoy novel. Much more valuable for our spirits and minds. We’ve been given a precious treasure in God’s Word–let’s remember that and revel in it with every opportunity we are given.

- Written March 31