Mini-vacation #2

I think God decided I needed rest. All weekend I prayed that my voice would be back for my Kindermusik® classes. Well, it didn't look like it was going to happen so I had to cancel my classes today. My one student got a cold and so I've had the whole day off. I've actually had some time for catch-up, miscellaneous tasks, and Bible study.

My voice is finally starting to get better, however. And I'm finally going to go see a specialist and make sure nothing is seriously wrong with it.

The Bible study/reading has been better, too. I'm trying to relax and just enjoy it. I don't have to get great insights or even find some serious application. That will come in time. The thing is that I really do enjoy Bible study at times. I think it is when the pieces start to fit that I really start to have fun.

When I was young, I just read to be a "good Christian." That's not necessarily bad for a child. I learned a lot, became familiar with the language and stories, and developed good habits. Besides, I really didn't know how to study on my own. Then in high school I started receiving teaching that put different Scriptures in perspective. It was like hearing a live performance of a piece you've heard a thousand times on a poor recording. Every note is familiar, but in the live performance it has more life, more meaning. As I started to read the Scriptures in light of God's plan for the time in which it was written, the Word became exciting to me.

I'm not sure that I yet knew how to study the Word for myself, but I had figured a couple things out. #1 The answers are there, and they can be found. #2 I knew enough about the structure of the Bible to start sorting though it myself.

And so I learned to soak myself in a passage until it started to take shape in my head. Then the excitement came when I found a theme in the book and saw how everything in a book or passage related to that theme. Now it's getting even better. I'm seeing themes that go from one book to another. The first example I was shown of this is studying Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation together to learn about the end times. Recently, it has seemed that Deuteronomy (the law), Mark (I have to check on this), and Hebrews have a common thread.

Of course, I don't find all the truths myself. I read other books and listen to sermons. But in the last couple days, I have once again sat down with pencil in hand and Bible on lap to see what God is saying. I am working on the gospels starting with Matthew. It will be some time before I have anything I can write about, but there is a sense of continuity in the book I never saw before.

So why do I write all this? To support this assertion: the Scriptures become alive and interesting when we realize we ourselves can understand them.

And does anyone who reads this care? I don't know. But that's what blogging's all about. =)