Second Look

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

I coined a term in my house: “man eyes.” It’s long been a joke in our house that my three men are incapable of finding things that are right in front of their eyes. Even when given very specific instructions, it’s like they can’t “see” what it is they’re looking for. I once told my son to go to the closet, look on the shelf that was shoulder height and turn his head 45 degrees to the left. He couldn’t see the thing he was looking for. I came behind him, repeated my instructions, and physically turned his head to the left. He said, “Oh!” and retrieved what he was looking for. Now as they are young adults, they hate coming to me to ask where something is located because they know I’ll walk right over and pick it up, usually in plain sight.

Several years ago, at the end of an extended series, our pastor asked if there was anything in particular we would like to study in our Wednesday Night Bible study. A quick flip through the Bible and I said, “So, what’s the deal with Philemon?” 1 page, 1 chapter, 25 verses… why is this Pauline letter important enough to be in the Bible? Our faithful servant took up the challenge with joy and taught an incredible lesson highlighting several ideas that are obviously there, but that I had missed in previous readings. I still remember the feeling of chagrin as I realized just how ill-informed I was.

I had been blind to the truths that were so evident to eyes that were open to the truth of the scripture. I’ve found that when I study with a heart that is completely open and looking to learn, the God is faithful and quick to supply us with the help we need.

Psalm 119, which seems to me to sing the praises of God, His Word, and the joy of following and learning from it has much to say: “Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.” Psalm 119:34 “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! year, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” Psalm 119:103-104 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalm 119:130

Paul, in more than one place, but most plainly in Ephesians prays, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:17-18 God’s Word is more than an introduction to our Savior, it is the essence, the truth, the very personality of God spelled out for those who seek him in truth. We simply can not glean all that we should from an hour in church on Sunday morning. And while, I believe we are to be in church services, because, if not, why would God call preachers? They aren’t just there to tell us how to get saved, but to teach us, to help us grow, to guide us along our spiritual walk. We are also instructed to seek Him out on our own. Sunday School in our childhood is not the only time we need to learn of the Bible, we are to be continually learning and growing. Why would God have instituted the church, if we, the church, are not to gather? We are to be here - every time the doors open - to support each other, to exhort each other, to learn together. If you’re missing that, you’re missing a blessing!

A few weeks ago, I embarked on a study of young King Josiah. What I found was so different that what I remembered from Sunday School lessons. In my mind’s eye I pictured a little boy king who found the Bible and it changed his life. But in truth, Josiah was seeking the Lord, being drawn to Him, and had reigned as king for 18 years before the book of the Law was found. Later, I attended a meeting of sister churches and heard a sermon about the Kings before Josiah and some of the things that led up to an 8 year old being crowned king, and that sermon was eye-opening as well. All that to say, that this book that we all have in our houses, on our bedside tables, or sitting dusty on a shelf, is far more than the lessons we learned in Sunday School. And those lessons that were carefully crafted to meet out childish needs are, in reality, full of so many more truths than we could be taught in a 30 minute Sunday School class.

I think that more than anything else, these past months have taught me the value to daily time in the Word. It’s so very easy to shrug that time off, or even to just read a verse or two. For me, I needed to delve in, do word searches, people searches, topic studies, timeline studies. Allowing myself to be led in whatever way the study goes. Often, an event during my day is on my mind when I begin to study, and I might spend time searching out that topic, but I also find myself going down other lanes of thought as the Holy Spirit prompts me to find the path that will bring about the growth that I need. My study process may be little too ADHD for some people, but it works for me. What I have found is that more and more scripture is being hid in my heart. I used to get frustrated because I couldn’t memorize verses perfectly, but, if we continually read and reread them, amazingly enough, when they’re needed, the Holy Spirit prompts our memory. I may not be able to recall them word for word, as I would like, but I can get the meaning, and if I have a Bible handy, which I tend to do, it’s easy to search them out.

If you need a place to start, just revisit some of those stories you remember from your childhood. It’s amazing how much more there is to the story. And, if you read with an open heart, you’ll see Jesus in every single one of them. This whole book is about Him, if we just take time to see it. Take a second look at those old stories we think we know so well, and see the King. He’s the ark saving his people from the flood, He’s the ram in the thicket of thorns becoming a substitutionary sacrifice for Isaac, He’s lamb whose blood covers the doorposts in the Passover, He’s the kinsmen redeemer in Ruth… Jesus is on every page, singing his love for us, if we just take the time to learn of it.