Just because you grew up in church, like I did, doesn’t mean you know everything about the Bible. I didn’t know all the answers during Bible Quiz Bowl and it took me time to memorize scriptures at church camp…but I would memorize them eventually and I kept learning!
I recently watched the movie Noah. I’m not getting into the movie production itself here, but I was embarrassed at myself for not knowing all of the detail specifics of the Bible story more accurately than I did before I saw it. Granted it only takes up about 3 chapters in Genesis, and I know the main story of Noah and the Ark, but when I read it after the movie there were so many details I was hungry to soak up!
When you’re in a relationship, especially at the beginning stages, you’re soaking up as much info about your love interest as possible. You read their updates, check out pictures, ask them questions, and just want to spend time with them. Later on you may start getting a little lazy. The excitement wears off and the everyday reality comes to play.
It’s like that a lot of times with our relationship with Christ. We get fired up, read, study, and memorize. Then the everyday hustle and bustle comes to play and we take the power of prayer, scripture, and our relationship with Christ for granted.
As I’ve been reading the New Testament over Lent I’ve enjoyed reading through the gospels and re-reading scriptures I’ve heard and read so many times in the past. It’s amazing how the scriptures, though they never change, open up my mind in different ways as I age.
I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been confused, and I’ve found answers. When I don’t know the answers I will cross-reference when I can. I’ll be the first to admit that I still have to use the Table of Contents at times or recite the books before I find what I need.
And you know what?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! I’m pretty sure there won’t be a Bible Quiz Bowl competition you have to pass before you enter Heaven…whew!
I have found recently that I need to read the scriptures. Not just want to or feel obligated, but I need them.
It’s like air now.
You don’t have to have a devotional to tell you where to go in the scriptures either. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my devotionals and God can use those to teach us so much. But if you don’t have one, just open up and start reading the books.
I would advise to read a book in its entirety and not just chapters though. So much of the Bible is important to read in the context that it’s written, so just keep that in mind too or you might not get the big picture that is intended.
So, I’m not a Bible scholar. I may never be able to recite the family trees and who begot whom. But what I am is a follower of the King. I have the key to knowing His heart, being saved, and following His lead.
Our Bible’s are precious. Let’s turn the pages, let creases appear, and go back and re-read them again and again when we forget.
Cause we’re not perfect.
Table of Contents user or not.
Love this! Now I’m going to read the story again before I see that movie! Was it good? I was worried it might be biblically incorrect!
Lynda! I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, reading beforehand is probably a great idea! I would say it was very loosely based on the actual story of Noah. The movie was visually captivating though so if you go into it knowing all that, you’d be good!
Mandy, thank you for this wonderful reminder today!
It’s my pleasure, Margaret! Thank you so much for reading it!
Thank you for this post! I realized recently that Even though I go to church and call myself a Christian, I don’t pursue Christ like I tell people I do. I had quite the heart-to-heart talk with God today after church and truly felt my burden lift. Then I was motivated to search for some devotional material online and came across your blog. Truly a “God-Thing” that I happened to read this post.
Kira, it’s nice to meet you! I am so excited that you found this post! God is so awesome for this to have spoken to what you were going through. Thank you for sharing this with me! None of us are perfect but it’s wonderful to encourage each other, right? Take care!