An Apple a Day

I opened my Gmail this morning, knowing that I was behind.  I was born 16 days late, and I've been catching up ever since.  But today I knew I was going to have to make up time -- time reading my Bible, because I missed yesterday.

Bible Gateway has this great thing where they will email you.  I didn't get time (actually I didn't take time) to read it yesterday.  We always have time for the things we want to do.  So today I went through John 8 and 9.

I wish I had some deep, profound spiritual insight to share with you.  I can tell you the events detailed there, but no little tidbits of meaning.  I've read this probably ten times in my life, and it's all pretty familiar.

Sometimes I listen this way: I hear someone (usually my husband) rattling off something I don't care about.  Often it is a task or an appointment, something I need to remember.  I know full well he's going to remind me probably 3 or 4 more times about it, so I tune him out.  It's just a voice making noise.

There are days when I read my Bible the same way -- just words on a page.  I can tell that I've read them, I go back and read them again, and still they don't get into my head.  Like when you're driving along, and you realize that you're only 5 miles from your destination and it feels like you were just 20 miles away just a moment ago.  What, we're already there?

I'm reading my Bible like I eat fast food.  Just run through the drive-thru and eat whatever it takes to stop the hunger.  No enjoying the taste, just stuffing my mouth until I'm not hungry anymore.

This is probably not the way the French read their Bibles.  I am certain they take small portions, beautifully arranged, and savor each bite.  Word.  Verse.  Passage.

Good habits are good things.  But their familiarity can cause us to lose focus.  Thankfully the Bible isn't something that you can do that with for long.  God will always pull us back and make us pay attention.  Daily reading is food for my soul, and there is always more than meat and potatoes.  Honestly, it's the lima beans and liver that grab me when I'm bored with the lasagna.  I start paying attention when it's uncomfortable.

Which it inevitably is.  God doesn't serve up burgers and fries for long.

So don't feel badly if you're bored with your Bible reading.  Things will spice up soon enough.  Just hang in there.  Any food is better than no food at all.