Oh how many things are on my mind today. It's a jumble in there. (Not that it's very different from most days, but you know.) I woke up late this morning, my body was telling me it was long past my 7, it was 8 and it was time to get up. My clock told me it was 9. Dammit.
Every morning I start my day with a routine. I grab my phone, read a devo, (during Lent read a special Lent devo), pray for about 10 seconds, and read the headlines on Foxnews and USA today. By the time I actually got out of bed, it was 9:30 and it had already occurred to me that there was no way I would be able to get everything done today that I needed to do.
I got right to it anyway, though, determined to get as much accomplished as humanly possible. I'm writing this blog so early because I plan on working through The Voice and then going to bed.
Bed is pretty much my favorite part of the day. Not just because I love sleep so much. I do, and anyone that knows me knows I need far more sleep than the average person. But my before bed routine is my favorite part of the day. It's when I get to leave the day at the door of my bedroom (did I mention how sparkling clean it is right now?!) and walk into my haven. No worries here. A cool breeze coming from my bedroom window, clean sheets and fluffy covers, and my bible. I started a regular reading plan at the beginning of the year because I knew my time in the Word was lacking. Okay, it was more than lacking. It was practically non-existent. It has become something so much more than a plan. It has become a joy, and a deeply needed refresher at the end of every day. Like a glass of cool water. And so much more. I learn more and more about the God I serve and who He is. His character. His people. What was written down about what He has been doing throughout history. His plan. The revelations of Himself throughout history. His glory. His justice. His holiness.
I have completely fallen in love. I'm reading parts I never have (the law in Exodus, and the entire book of Job) and parts I've read a hundred times (the book of Luke) but what I find continuously amazing is how new it is all the time. Stories that I've read over and over always have something new for me. Even if it's just a renewed sense of comfort from the stories. He was, He is, and He always will be. And He loves me. And He loves you. And all He asks is that we love and trust Him.
I admit, some of the stories confuse me. They were messages for times and peoples far removed from my own, with cultures and customs that seem as foreign to me to as a separate planet. But the themes are constant, even if the messages get a little lost in translation. (My translations, of course. There are people that study this stuff for a living and they tell me their brief opinions in the commentary, and they are incredibly helpful. It is my knowledge that is limited.) God is Holy. God is Just. God is Good. God is God.
And because even the stories I've known and read since childhood are still new; I never have to stop. There will never come a day when I say "I now know all there is to know from the Bible, it is time to move on." Ever. I'm not that smart. If Augustine, Luther, and Piper didn't get there, there is no chance that I ever will. Not with ten lifetimes. Not with a hundred. In fact, if there is anything to learn from those amazing men, it is that as I age, the full weight will dawn on me on how much there is to be found in that holy book.
It is a gift that never ceases to give. It is a gift that gives the more time you give it. It is a gift that reveals the more you seek. It is a gift that has everything you need, from comfort to strength, principles to confidence, songs of joy and sorrow. It has the answer to who you are and who you were made to be. It has the answer of where are you going, and who loves you the most. It reveals the truth about love, and the truth of truth, and the truth of life.
So marvel with me for this absolutely amazing gift, this gift that will never cease to give. Thank you, God, for this gift. Thank you for giving me a source of joy and knowledge and comfort that will never run dry.
Right on. It's a living document; seems to be something different every time I read it.
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