I read a selection from the Bible every week with a lady who lives here in "the home" with me. She may be older than me. She does not read when we meet because her vision seems to be worse than mine. We have read the Book of Acts since Easter and now we have begun Micah. I really like the Old Testament Prophets, but they are not very popular in most discussions. Most people think of the Minor Prophets as filled with judgments and destruction, but there are also words of comfort and restoration.
The truth is that God blesses the reading of his words whether we like them or not. Even passages we feel are judgmental and overwhelming are blessed when we read them with reverence and attention. It's not always something we understand that strengthens us for our course. Sometimes it's the act of studying the obscure and difficult passage that brings new awareness and blessing.
Read a different translation and make sure you understand what is happening and what the message is; then read it again and see what God is saying to you about your present circumstances. If you are still in doubt, let it rest for a while and come back later. Maybe you will have to let it rest for a long time, but some day you may find it a surprising revelation. Then you know that God has been working in you heart and mind to reveal a powerful truth, a truth that deserves this kind of commitment and effort. This is something that should take a while, maybe a long while, to become clear. Now you can recognize that God is in this for the long haul. You need to accept that and let it grow in you even if it takes your whole life.
The truth is that God blesses the reading of his words whether we like them or not. Even passages we feel are judgmental and overwhelming are blessed when we read them with reverence and attention. It's not always something we understand that strengthens us for our course. Sometimes it's the act of studying the obscure and difficult passage that brings new awareness and blessing.
Read a different translation and make sure you understand what is happening and what the message is; then read it again and see what God is saying to you about your present circumstances. If you are still in doubt, let it rest for a while and come back later. Maybe you will have to let it rest for a long time, but some day you may find it a surprising revelation. Then you know that God has been working in you heart and mind to reveal a powerful truth, a truth that deserves this kind of commitment and effort. This is something that should take a while, maybe a long while, to become clear. Now you can recognize that God is in this for the long haul. You need to accept that and let it grow in you even if it takes your whole life.
