For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Heb 4:12 (NIV)
Stories of Glory
One of my favourite set of books is the ‘Mark of the Lion’ series by Francine Rivers. And every few years I MUST READ the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead… I could list books for days on end that I have loved reading and that I could say have changed my life. I’ve loved them because their stories come alive within me and it’s as if I’m a part of it.
How much more ALIVE are the words of God? Yet we read our bibles, listen to Him in prayer and through sermons, etc. so flatly and without color that the words stay black and white and so often lay dormant within our ears. The bible is RICH of story… It's color is grand and vast, beautiful and deep. Life changing.
So many of us read the scriptures like a rule book… It’s the manual for life, right?
Would you listen to the stories your parents, friends, family, etc. that way? Stories of the lessons they’ve learned? Wisdom they have to impart? Heartaches to share? No, you engage and participate in those stories…
Engage and participate.
The words of God breath, they rise and fall with hope and wisdom, they create and declare, they stretch out, hold in, comfort and heal, release and challenge. It is not flat. It is not black and white, but ALIVE and active. When you read with open eyes and heart, and you let the words breathe within you, it reaches down into the core of your being and reveals a love woven through pages upon pages of people's lives, lessons and wisdom. A love like no other. Transcendent. Unrestrained. Powerful. Living…
As you read the bible today, don’t do it to be a “good Christian” or to check a box off the list. Research the culture, ask questions about the times and the people who wrote within it… dig deep. Let the words live and dance where they will, inside your heart. And listen like you’re reading the most incredible book ever written, unearthing secrets and wisdom, love and hope to guide you down the path of your living…
You are, in fact, a part of its grand and miraculous story.
[vcex_image_grid columns=”3″ pagination=”false” thumbnail_link=”custom_link” link_title_tag=”true” custom_links_target=”_blank” overlay_style=”title-category-visible” columns_gap=”5″ img_hover_style=”fade-out” image_ids=”20934,20935,20937″ custom_links=”https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1239768002?pt=118656308&ct=blog%20footer&mt=8,https://www.pktfuel.com/dailyemail,https://www.pktfuel.com/support” img_height=”350″]