spending time with God

Published by bryan | Filed under journal entries

June 21st.

The weather in Oregon is finally warming, and I’ve a swing in a corner of the front yard that sits beneath the long branches of a tree. In the morning I’ve been reading through the Bible before I head to the office. During some evenings, I head back out there (there are lights in the tree which makes for a great place to sit and read.) It’s been of my greatest experiences with the Bible.

My friend Ron Frost is the one who turned me on to reading the Bible straight through. Dr. Frost has read the book many times and considers reading the Bible cover to cover, then starting over and doing it again, to be of the greatest disciplines in discovering who God is and thus discovering who we are as His creation. I couldn’t agree more.

This time I am reading through Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase called “The Message” and it’s opening my eyes in greater ways to who the God of the universe actually is. Each time I read, I journal for a page to reflect on something new I learned about God in the four or five chapters I read that day. I’m only half way through Exodus, but already the true God is starting to replace the God of my imagination. We really only learn about a person by spending time with them, and it’s no different with God.

Some of my early reflections this time through have to do with the goodness of God, especially relative to the brokenness and confusion of humanity. There is no escaping the fact God is good, and those He chooses are often not. We are broken, confused, wandering, immature and complacent. It’s not that this is okay, it isn’t. God isn’t pleased with our immaturity. I see through both Genesis and Exodus God bringing people out of their lack of faith. It’s true I see God through the grid of a father, but the grid is only supported by His interaction with the forefathers of our faith. God seems to take them by the hand and guide them whether they are willing or not. He disciplines their immaturity, counsels them through their insecurities, and provides for their needs. He parts seas, brings plagues, gives favor with enemies and performs miracles specifically to show His people that He is God.

Before starting this read through a month ago, I’d been praying for greater faith, and it seems God is answering this prayer not through some kind of supernatural injection, but rather through displaying the laws of reality, and the ways in which He breaks into that reality. One learns faith by understanding who God is, and what He wants from His children.

A quick note about reading through the Bible for those who are interested:

Dr. Frost recommends reading through several chapters a day, underlining passages that stand out, perhaps even writing questions or notes in the margins, then getting together with a small group of friends to discuss what each person has seen. Each person is given ten uninterrupted minutes to process out-loud what he or she has seen in the text, and if there is time afterward for discussion, all the better. It’s a great way to not go the journey alone.

I’m looking forward to doing this with a group some day, but since my schedule has me all over the place right now, I’m simply keeping a journal. Each day I mark the date, then write a couple hundred words about characteristics of God I am noticing, then I draw a line across the bottom of the page and list five or ten names, the first names that come to me, and I spend some time asking God to bless those people. I also pray about whatever is happening in my life.

Far from being burdened by this exercise, I’m finding that I miss it if I skip. Not only do I wonder what is going to happen next in the story (you will be amazed at how, even though you know what is going to happen, you still want to read it again for yourself) but I also find that I miss God if I don’t meet with Him. Dr. Frost argues that reading the Bible is one of the greatest ways to fall in love with God. I think this is true.

Here’s Dr. Frost’s book. It’s out of print, but coming back soon! You can get used copies on Amazon. But, of course, Dr. Frost would suggest reading the Bible first…..

Discover the Power of the Bible

Also, here’s a cheap copy of Peterson’s paraphrase. It is only the New Testament, the Psalms and Proverbs, but it’s a great place to start. If this is your first time to read a big chunk of the Bible, this book will serve you well.

The Message

Don