I have bristled against annual bible reading for some time, especially after committing my life to ministry. I always called it reading for the surface as opposed to reading for the heart and growth. Informational as opposed to formational. It always seemed to me that it is a good thing to want to read scriptures more, but this felt pretty shallow and would not really engage one’s soul much. I stopped trying to do this many years ago, and if I am honest, I think I only achieved it a time or two in my lifetime.
I was inspired to give it a try again this year. The inspiration came from a book I was reading to inform another project of mine. It was filled with various biblical references throughout and caught my eye enough to know that I needed to do this more. So I found a reading plan and began January 1st.
Now that I started doing it again, I am finding slivers of scriptures touching my soul at unexpected times. Yes, going through Leviticus and Numbers and now Deuteronomy, it can be B-O-R-I-N-G. Some of the segmenting of the Psalms and Proverbs can make one question God’s love.
But those slivers, those slivers of light! When they arise, better said, when I am open to their rise, provide insights I probably would not have seen otherwise. This morning, for example, I was reading my prescribed pattern when I thought for sure Moses was going to put me back to sleep with part of his address to the people of God preparing to cross the Jordan. But something jumped out, leaping off my phone app and into my heart. Moments later, reading a portion of Luke, the identical phenomena repeated itself.
This is important because the passages that caught my heart are directly related to another project I have been planning to begin next week. It is as if God affirmed that forthcoming work to encourage me and let me know that I am on the right path with it. They address a particular theme I am putting together for a couple of ministry leader retreats coming in the next several months.
I call them slivers today because they have to do with light coming into a dark place. The visual has already presented itself to me this morning as the sun shone into my place around the edge of a window blind. A sliver of light entered the room, and the room was filled with light because of it.
This is what scripture can do for the heart. Even the tiniest glimmer can illuminate and do wonders for you, from making a difference in your belief system all the way down to putting you a better mood.
I am glad to say that I was wrong. Keep following those annual plans. If my math is right, you should be on day 97 today. If you are not on a plan, then just pick up your bible or grab the app and read something from scripture today. Maybe there is a sliver of light waiting to catch your eye.