Monday, December 28, 2009

Bible?

Reading your Bible- I never thought it could be so... difficult sometimes. Y'know when sometimes you feel your so disconnected and in a slump with God? Like there's been too long of a time of no communication, and you feel terrible about it, but you're just too... absorbed with everything: Christmas, presents, things to do on your days off from school, that you just brush aside time in the day for God? Well, that's what I've struggled with the past week or two. I mean, for me, the slump starts when I wake up, and on that day, I don't go immediately and read my Bible. If I break the cycle, it's easier to continue doing so until I've completely stopped reading. The good thing though, is that whenever I stop, I'm convicted in a way. Whenever I'm at church or listening to a sermon, I feel... distraught. Like half of me is listening to the message, but the other half is screaming that you're not even spending time with God, how is this going to help you? And so I finally went to my Bible this morning. Not novels, not computer, not any kind of other distraction; my Bible. And I feel so good after reading it and just praying... Personally, I think the Bible's essential to me in my faith. It somehow... Just gets me back on track with God. I don't know how. It just... does...
My two favorite quotes about the Bible are these:

Sin will keep you from this book,
but this book will keep you from sin
-Anonymous

And then:

Show me a Bible that's falling apart,
and I'll show you a life that isn't.
-Anonymous

They're amazing and a 100% true.
I don't know if any of you have ever gotten in a slump like that, where you've just needed something to pull you out. And for me, it's God's Word.

Jake

5 comments:

Hannah Nicole said...

I've been struggling with the same thing lately. It's so easy to put it off and say, "But THIS is essential. I have to get this done. These things are more important. I need to do THAT right now." when really, the thing that is essential, the most crucial, would be reading the Bible.

And then when you do read it, it's even easier to skim it. Gloss over the surface instead of digging deeper. The bible is like an uncut diamond. If we don't look into it, or cut into to it to find deeper meanings, then we don't find the wisdom, or beauty, if you follow along the gemstone line. ;)

But man, when I really READ read the bible. That's amazing. :)

I love the quotes--heard both before, and they are both awesome. I love the second one. :)

Hannah

Keturah said...

I have the same problem. I need to discipline myself and not always do whatever I feel like doing at that moment.
-Keturah

Josh $ said...

Same here, you can get into a slump of anything...even sin. But what I love about the Bible is that it is LITERALLY God's word. That in of itself is amazing to me.
Great post, Jake!

Josh

Emily Ann said...

Your not alone in your Bible reading problem... I'm with you. Last night I was so torn because I was so tired, but I wanted to read my Bible... sleep won the battle. *sighs*

But its amazing when you dig deep into the Word, and God speaks to you. Like Hannah said it's so easy to just read the words and not think about what they say.

I have a study Bible and it is so easy for me to just look at what the verse means rather than trying to figure it out myself. When I do try to figure it out with out the help... wow...

I accidently deleted the comment you left on the music shuffle quiz... would you be willing to guess again?
Your sister in Christ,
Emily

Ryan said...

Jake, your post was very encouraging to me. Sometimes we get so caught up in our worldly needs that we forget our spiritual needs. I struggle also. And I need to be connected more with God's Word each day. Thanks Jake for the encouragement.

Ryan