Sipping deeply

"Those who read fast reap no more advantage than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of the flower, instead of waiting to penetrate into it, and extract its sweets."
~ Madame Jeanne Guyon ~

I've never been a big fan of those "Read Through the Bible in A Year" programs, mostly because I've never been able to do it. I lose steam pretty quickly. The furthest I've ever gotten was Deuteronomy, which I thought was pretty good considering the minutia you have to endure to get that far--stuff about mildew (yep, it's really there in Leviticus 13 and 14) and descendants of tribes with names I can't come close to prounouncing and offerings for specific sins on specific days prepared specific ways. I'm not even Jewish and it makes me want to say, "OY!" Whenever I try to stick to such an ambitious plan, I find myself reading for the sake of reading, checking it off the to do list, doing it out of obligation, not a sincere desire to know God.

I'm not knocking those who have the self-discipline and determination to do it. My own daughter, so mature for her nearly fourteen years, is right on schedule, putting me to shame. There is great power in scripture. The more you are familiar with, the better, as far as I'm concerned. I commend and admire those of you who have the fortitude to get through it in a year. I'd like to think I have read the entire Bible, albeit somewhat haphazardly, but I can't say for sure. Should I be ashamed of that for my thirty years as a Christian?

In my defense, let me say scripture becomes a treasure when I soak it in and let it permeate, when I mull it over. Verses become food for me, real sustenance, when they are so much a part of me they are like lifelines, reminding me of Truth in every situation. Therein lies their sweetness. A friend recently gave me one of the best compliments I've ever received. She attends a Bible study I am a part of and told me I was like a tea bag. "It's fun to watch your thought process," she said, "You can see the stuff you are learning seeping into every part of your thinking." Thank You, Lord. That's what I want, to have You and Your Word seeping in, making me easier to swallow. (HT to MiPa whose post reminded me of my friend's words.)

So sip deeply and savor, my friends. God's Word is supposed to be our nectar, for "man does not live on bread alone but on every word word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." That's in Deuteronomy. Told you I got that far.




Thanks to Laurel Wreath for hosting this week's "In Other Words".