Read His Words Before Ours!
1 Peter 1:10-12
Luke 24:44-49
Psalm 2
Woven, Day 1
The Bible is such a diverse book. Have you ever attempted to just sit down and read it like you would any other book? I mean, crazy, right? Creation is good and interesting in the beginning and the rest of Genesis has a lot of neat stories, but even those have some pretty….weird….things going on.
I mean, Cain gets this strange mark on him.
Noah gets drunk and naked. (yeah, maybe you didn’t read that far, did you?)
A dreamy staircase to Heaven appears out of nowhere while Jacob uses a rock for a pillow.
Sibling rivalry is a huge deal…. Esau’s hot-temper makes you wonder how Jacob even managed to stay alive at all.
Sure, the Exodus story is pretty amazing.
All the plagues and the Ten Commandments (and a vision of Charlton Heston dances in my head nearly every time I read it.)
But then, the reading plan plows into Leviticus, and *cringe*, Numbers….and it all seems to blur together as we find ourselves asking, “Why? And do we care about Elishama and Ammihud?”
(because, really, if we were honest, we would probably say, “No. No, I don’t care.”)
The Why is valid.
And there are solid reasons.
Reasons strong enough to make me want to devote my life to studying the Bible.
But the real kicker is here: what if the Bible wasn’t written “to” us?
Before you say I’m crazy…
Consider: what if the Bible is hard to understand because, while it was indeed written “for” us, its story is neither “to” us or “about” us in many ways.
Ancient civilizations.
Buried cities, some of which we haven’t even uncovered yet today.
Bones that have long since turned back to dust.
These were the Bible’s original recipients.
And if we are going to read their documents and their letters and then make current-day application from them, it only makes sense that we should first step into their shoes.
If we can see what the stories and letters and biographies meant to them, in their culture, we can make good application to our lives from this very living and active word of God!
That’s exactly what good students of the Bible do, and what we work hard to do here at Gracefully Truthful with every Journey Study we write and every Digging Deeper Study we dive into. As students of God’s Word, we’ve learned to ask good questions:
What does this say about God?
What did it say to its first audience?
What does this say about people in general?
And lastly, how can I live differently because of what I’ve learned?
This Word of God, these precious words written and down and sovereignly preserved are Life Giving.
Written so, so, long ago, yet because they are the true words of the Almighty Living God, inspired by the His Own Mighty Spirit, they hold life for NOW.
As we journey into Woven, we are inviting you to travel with us.
To put on new study glasses with us.
To learn how to ask good questions, make good applications, and sisters?
Fall more in love with the God who has chased after our hearts since the beginning of time!
We are confident that as you walk with us, you’ll discover with brilliantly colored brushstrokes, how deep and wide and passionate is this love of God for us.
Beloved, the Almighty God has pursued us from the beginning of time,
and we have been invited in to so much more.
So, come away with us, and see the Lord’s big picture.
Be willing to see the Bible as a single, cohesive, dramatic story of truly incredible love.
Get ready to be swept off your feet as you gaze into the majesty of an all-powerful, yet very good father from the first word to the last.
All these stories, all their words, all those endless names in Numbers, the crazy rules in Leviticus, the flood waters that destroyed all but 8 people on the face of the earth, yes, even God’s wrath and His anger unleashed, right alongside God’s prophecies of peace and coming hope, all are threads of the same masterpiece.
One Story.
One Redemption.
One God and Father of us all who gave His all to be our Great Rescuer.
Love.
Woven.
From the beginning of time,
knitted tightly along into your everyday,
sewn steadily on until the Day of Christ’s Return,
and on into glorious eternity.
Love.
Woven.
By the hands of the Master Weaver.
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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Woven Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Woven!