Mankind … human beings in general, are not so good at exercising patience. Sometimes I think God should have labeled us all as human “doings” rather than human “beings.” We do things quickly. We like fast food; we want our meals microwaved within two minutes; we like drive-through pharmacies and drive up ATMs. We want one-hour dry-cleaners and our pizza’s delivered in 30 minutes or less (or it’s free). We want quicker – we hate to wait!
I promise I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to waiting and being patient for anything. I’m always looking for shortcuts. I’ve been especially guilty of moving through life too quickly when it comes to my daily Bible reading. For many years I’ve been on a reading plan that encourages me to read through the Bible in one year. There are times that it’s seemed more important to read my four or five chapters a day simply for the sake of getting through the schedule rather than just reading a few verses and really meditating on what I’ve read.
After our church-wide 50 Days of Transformation at the beginning of this year, I found myself hungering for some additional transformation in my life with regards to my Bible reading and quiet time spent with God. I seem inclined to hurry through even that.
That hunger led me to the book, The Art of Praying the Scriptures, A Fresh Look at Lectio Divina, by author, John Paul Jackson. In his book, Mr. Jackson states: “Lectio divina is Latin for “holy reading” meaning holy reading of the Scriptures. This spiritual discipline is for the purpose of reading and praying the Scriptures with focused intent. This practice is the unhurried savoring of the text so the eternal truths contained therein enter our spirits, and with that entrance we are more than changed – we are transformed. This “unhurried savoring” is a very important aspect of the transformation process.”
Instead of reading many Bible chapters a day and retaining next to nothing, I am practicing “holy reading” by simply reading a verse or two and really “chewing” on those verses for a day or two (or three or four) until I feel I’ve really gotten all of the meat and spiritual nourishment out of the verse. That’s all “holy reading” really is – that “unhurried savoring” of the Scriptures.
I still long for transformation and a deeper walk with Christ and I’m learning that it simply won’t happen if I hurry through my daily time spent with Jesus. Growing our relationship with Jesus is like anything else in life –we get as much out of it as we put into it. I’ve been giving Jesus my shortcuts which has left me empty and hungering for something more.
How about you? Are you hungry for more of Jesus? Are you giving God shortcuts because of your busyness? Why not try a little “unhurried savoring” of the Scriptures and chew on something more substantial that will satisfy your soul for longer than it takes to order take-out?
Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Psalm 27:7-8 (NLT)
Blessings in Christ,
Kathy K.
I took a year off of my…read the Bible in a year normal mode…and did something similar from a Larry Warner Book, “Journey with Jesus”. Very helpful.
Oh, Kathy! This is confirmation to something I’ve been feeling led to do. Thanks.