Recharged

I have a Wii, and my Wii remotes have rechargeable batteries.

One thing I've noticed is that if I go a while without using my Wii, even though the remotes haven't had to do any work, the batteries are completely drained just from being away from the recharging station for that long. This annoys me greatly because you're not supposed to leave them there all the time, so it's like you have to think ahead to when you might want to use the Wii.

I've also noticed that when I begin my day with God, soaking in his word and enjoying his presence, I'm recharged and energized for the day. Too much time without that and I get crabby. I don't operate well. Even if I don't encounter a lot of stress or problems, just being away from God for that long drains me.

It is so important that I spent time in my recharging station—focused time in God's presence.

Lectio Divina

I've spent the past two years reading through the Bible using the God Sightings website. And yes, it is a one year plan. I did a slow track where I missed half of the days.

Reading through the Bible in a year (or two) is a great way to get a big picture view of the Bible. You see how everything ties together. You read stories you must've read before (if you've read the Bible entirely before), but you forgot they were in there. You find surprises that make you say, "Wow! That's in the Bible?!"

But having gotten that 10,000 foot view, I've dedicated this year to getting a magnifying glass view instead. I want to spend this year pulling out small passages of Scripture and soaking them in. Really taking my time reading and meditating on them. And to do this, I'm using a method of Scripture meditation based off of Lectio Divina.

I don't know if I'm following the steps quite exactly. But this is what I'm doing: I'm choosing a passage that's fairly short. 5 or 6 verses max. I begin by just being still for a minute or two. Trying to clear my mind of all the distractions that often come when I'm reading the Bible or praying. Thoughts about work, and to-do list items, potential Facebook statuses, and how cute my dogs are. (Their cuteness is a big distraction in general.)

Once I am ready to focus on God, I read through the whole passage, slowly, a couple of times. Then I just do a couple verses, however long I feel like is good to digest. I read those verses over and over, and then I have time where I just listen to God. I pray that he will show me what he wants me to understand from those verses. Then I read them again a couple times, and pray about them, talking to God about them - whether that's praise, confession, or a prayer that he will work in my life that pertains to the verses.

I'm starting with Psalm 93. The first several passages I choose will be based on wanting to allow God to define me this year, and I want to be defined in terms of who he is. Psalm 93 is full of descriptions of God. So far I'm getting a lot out of it. And each day during this time, one thing I meditate on is what one of the descriptions says about me. I have a craft project involving mirrors that I'm making based on these reflections. (Ha! Mirrors...reflections!)

It's very different than the fire hose method of reading Scripture in a year. I think it's nice to switch things up. And a great bonus to Lectio Divina - you memorize Scripture without even meaning to! Just by reading it so many times and reflecting on it, the words are in your head. So then when you're driving or whatever, you can ponder the words some more.

The Lord Is There

I'm working on reading the Bible all the way through for the second time. I'm using the one-year plan from God Sightings, put out by Group and Tyndale, although it's become the two-year plan for me. At any rate, I'll be done by the end of the year.

This morning I finished Ezekiel, which put me in mind of the first time I read the Bible all the way through. I was in high school when I finished, and at that point I wasn't following any plan. I was just reading a chapter a day, reading the books in no particular order and checking them off when I finished. I just decided on a whim which book to read next. And so it happened that the last book I read was Ezekiel. And the last words of Ezekiel are the new name for God's holy city, written as "The Lord Is There" in English (NIV).

I remember being really struck that those were the last words I read before I could say I'd read the Bible cover to cover. It seemed almost like a summary to me of the whole Bible. No matter what sinful things were going on, what chaos ensued, the theme of the Bible was that God's presence was there. Dwelling in the Temple. Filling his holy city. Feeling the pain of rejection as his people turned to idols. Sending his own Son to provide a way he could be intimately present in our life.

The Lord is there in your life. No matter how you've messed up, or how messed up your life seems. He's with you. His Word is evidence of how he longs to speak into your life. His sacrifice of his own Son is evidence of how he longs to be present with you for all eternity.

Are you lonely? Are you hopeless? Are you running on empty?

The Lord is there.

Ephesians

I've decided to start a new blogging tradition: blogging about the passages I highlighted when I finish a book of the Bible. I thought this would be a nice recap for me, and a nice way to share what I'm learning from God's Word. And so, without further adieu, I present: Ephesians.

1:3 - "spiritual blessing in Christ." The whole verse is good, but I just highlighted that part. It struck me how often I consider blessings tangible things. Spiritual blessings is a whole separate level.

1:11 - "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." This one struck me because of the last part. We have free will, but ultimately God works it out for his ultimate purposes.

2:10 - "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." One I'd memorized, but a good refresher. We're here for a reason. A specific reason. God has specific things he wants us to accomplish for him. We were created to do those very things. What an amazing sense of purpose.

4:1 - "As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." What a great piggyback off of 2:10 - we've got this amazing calling to do the very good works God prepared for us. I love this challenge to live worthy of that calling. Not just to do the good works, but to live as one who is clearly working for God in everything.

4:2, 13, 15, 16 - "in love" "unity" "in love" "in love" - It stuck out to me how much the word love was used in talking about unity. We've got to love each other.

4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desire; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." I feel like this verse captures the journey of faith - putting off our old as we strive to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building  others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." In middle school I recited this verse to those who swear around me. But now it strikes me that this verse isn't so much about abstaining from swearing - it's about considering how each word you say benefits those who listen. Do I build people up, or tear them down?

5:15 - "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." This one challenged me. How much intentionality is there to how I live? Do I make the most of every opportunity to be wise? Do I even recognize those opportunities?

6:12- "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." So often the troubles of this world feel so consuming. We look at the tangible things and get so discouraged, forgetting that in the big picture, we're in this cosmic battle against powerful dark forces. That's why we must wear the armor of God and stand firm.

I have a couple more thoughts on Ephesians that I want to elaborate on in more detail, so stay tuned for that tomorrow!