SERIES: Inspired
Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
I consider the Word of God to literally BE the Word of God.
From the first time I read from my own Bible I knew something was very different about this book.
I don’t pretend that when I was seven years old I was all knowing, but rather I had witnessed and watched my dad read from his old Bible several times a day.
Even then I could tell that something was different about this book. He didn’t have the same expression on his face that he had when he was reading the newspaper.
And…while he may have read fiction or engineering books when he was younger, by the time I was in grade school I do not remember him reading from any other book. His old Bible was his book of choice.
In addition to that, as I grew older and I had questions about a Bible story or a verse I was given to memorize from Sunday School he always referred me to my own Bible.
He had a way of answering my question with a question.
Looking back I know now that the absolute best way to change someone is to help them find the answer without giving them your answer.
Me da always sent me back to God.
He reminded me to ask God.
He also taught me that God speaks to us (today) through many ways and one way is through the Bible.
In Isaiah 55:10-11 the prophet wrote about the Word:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth,making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty,but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
In time I learned my own way of finding my way through God’s Holy Word.
The rain and snow were the watering agent God used to quench my thirst.
I honestly do not know if I had a thirst for God’s Word because I saw how much it meant to my dad or if I had a mighty unquenchable thirst because my dad prayed that I would have a mighty unquenchable thirst to hear from God.
Truth be told, it could have been both.
Then, the thirst I had grew exponentially greater when I went to Seminary. Now…you’d think my thirst would have been fulfilled in Seminary, wouldn’t you? For me, learning more about scripture only made me realize how much I did NOT know. I had great professors who were brilliant scholars and I learned that there is no end to the Word of God.
That’s because it is a living thing.
For years before Seminary I read and meditated and listened for God to nudge me, or speak, or give me a new thought and I thought going to Sem would answer my questions. Instead it made me realize how many more questions I had about each word.
Then…something happened that really changed my outlook.
I had studied and read Koine Greek books that relate to the original translation of the New Testament for years, and I was fascinated by the various translations so I thought I would continue studying Koine Greek in Seminary.
It seemed like the next best step in my learning about the Word.
But, as I was preparing to sign up to take New Testament Greek courses, God stopped me.
God pointed me in another direction.
It wasn’t a direction I had even considered or wanted. God told me to take Biblical Hebrew courses.
Whhaaattt?
Of course I was sure I misunderstood so I asked for confirmation.
God gave confirmation: Hebrew. Take Hebrew. Study HEBREW.
So, while I couldn’t understand why, I signed up to study Biblical Hebrew. And…do you know what happened? It was confusing and terrifying and the most crazy difficult thing I’d ever done in my life.
Hebrew grammar was horrid. I continuously asked God if this was what I was supposed to do?!? There was so much memorization and so many things that didn’t make sense. So, as with anything that’s really really hard, I stopped looking at the big picture and I started focusing on what I could learn in one hour. Ever so gradually one hour became one day and one day became one week.
Then I came to the end of Hebrew Grammar (which was Hebrew Two) and I found that I survived (barely). It was by far my lowest grade in Seminary.
Then, I had to take Hebrew Three and I found that it was much easier.
Then…God sent a miracle. When I walked into Hebrew Four, an older gentleman was seated at the desk. He was a very seasoned professor. As I understood it, that was the only class he taught. This course was Hebrew Composition. I don’t know how to this day, but that professor made Hebrew come to life in my heart and in my mind. It was wonderful!
Reading the Words God spoke to the Prophets, the words given to David and Moses and Joshua from the original language took on new life.
Everything I had learned and witnessed from watching my dad read his old Bible laid the foundation for a lifetime of reading and meditating and listening to what God had (has) for me (for us) every day. Being able to study scripture from the original text is one of the greatest blessings of my life.
That’s because the Word of God IS alive and well. Every day when I study God speaks. God teaches. God changes me.
Spiritual Practice: Choose
Choose one verse to sit with. Start with a prayer asking God to speak to you, then read and listen. Wait. Wait for as long as it takes. God WILL show up!
In God, Deborah
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