Online Devotions: reading Scripture

Sunday, September 23, 2018

No Place I'd Rather Be

September 23 (Psalm 84:10)

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. (NLT)

Most people who claim to be Christian would say that Jesus is wonderful and the Bible is great, and they could go on to list many other things about their faith that bring them joy. Now, stop and ask yourself this. If you had nothing else but Jesus and God’s word…no music, no Internet, no car, no job, no sports, no family, no house, no whatever that thing is that is your favorite in all the world…would that be enough?

I love my family more than anything else on earth, and I love a lot of stuff on earth. Music and poetry and the natural wonders of state and national parks thrill me. I take genuine pleasure in such things, and am grateful to God not only for His creation and what He has inspired through others, but for the eyes and ears with which to appreciate them. And my family, well, I sometimes become downright giddy with joy over them. My foot taps the accelerator a bit harder on my way home after work.

But when I take time to enter into the presence of God, when I sit with Him in prayer or ponder His words in Scripture, then I know that there is truly nothing I prefer to Him. It is not that I enjoy the pleasures of life or love my family less, but that I desire Him more. Such desire burns brightly when I turn my heart to Him, but it will only burn that way when He, and nothing else, is my heart’s focus.

Lord, thank You for the endless blessings of this life. Even in times of illness and suffering, You have poured out on us more blessing than we could possibly comprehend. Yet today I turn my focus from the things You have given me directly to You. May You and You alone fill my mind and heart and be all that I desire. I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Meditating On The Bible

January 22 (Joshua 1:8)

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. (ESV)

A deep, wonderful, and supremely nerdy experience recently proved the truth of this verse to me. I had been wrestling with this and that, and even though the thought of reading Scripture should have brought me comfort, my thoughts were scattered. I began to explore a particular verse in one translation, but it seemed rather flat, so I went to a different translation that was much more dynamic. This led me to consult the Greek translation of the Old Testament, known as the Septuagint, and I found that the more dynamic translation was the more accurate.

What struck me most at the end of this time of study was how much more calm I felt. I had spent about an hour reading, thinking, and writing, and my chaotic thoughts had settled into place. I had not simply glanced at the Bible and moved on, but I had meditated on it, and that made all the difference.

What can you do to slow down in your engagement with the Bible? Note that I did not say “in your reading the Bible.” We can read something in a flash and promptly forget it. Engagement is a different matter. Try reading the same passage in different translations and noting the differences. Ask God what He is saying in the passage. Take notes on it in a journal. Talk about it with a friend via email, text message, or over coffee. When you actively engage with the Bible, it will take on a much richer meaning than if you merely read a bit and check it off your to-do list. You will have moved into meditation on God’s word, and that will truly change how you go about life.

Lord, I ask You in these words of Thomas Aquinas, “Pour forth a ray of Your brightness into the darkened places of my mind; disperse from my soul the twofold darkness into which I was born: sin and ignorance. Grant to me keenness of mind, capacity to remember, skill in learning, subtlety to interpret, and eloquence in speech. May You guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to completion. You Who are true God and true Man, who live and reign, world without end. Amen.”

History of Online Devotions

In January of 1999, I began the Online Devotions with the teens of the church we were attending. Each week they would receive a verse of Scripture, a short reflection, and a prayer. Over the years others subscribed to this email list, and soon the Online Devotions were going out to people across the country and beyond.

In 2007 I published in book format a collection called Desert Days: Forty Devotions for Men.

After suggestions from several readers, I launched in 2010 the Online Devotions blog. Devotions are still available each week by email, and if you would like to subscribe, please indicate so in the comment box.

As I have always said, if one of these devotions touches you, you can be sure it was from God. If one leaves you flat, then there was too much of me in it.