This Time I'm NOT Speed Reading

In December, the pastor at my Austin family's church held up a paperback “One Year Bible”, while encouraging everyone to read through the Bible this year. After all, if we want wisdom, divine guidance, and God's favor, then studying God's Word daily and acting upon it, will be the key to success in 2021. At the end of his encouragement, he asked “Who would like this Bible?“ I raised my hand – and lo and behold, he chose me! Sweet! This Bible, each day, provides a chapter from the Old Testament, New Testament, a Psalm and a Proverb. I have been reading it every day, but, I’m not just speed reading. I’m intentional with catching as much as I can and underlining words or phrases that stand out to me. I see how easily I can turn my goal of reading my Bible through in one year into cold repetition and an act of regimen instead of reading it like the love letter God intended it to be. My Bible is my “go to” place for finding direction on which way to go or what to do. Because I have many “go-to” scriptures and because I know many stories from the Bible, I often read them, gloss over the words or think I already know everything there is to know about that verse or chapter. It may be the same for you. We hear God’s words spoken to us when we attend church or a Bible Study, but even those times, we may find ourselves speed-reading through familiar words or skipping a section altogether because we think we know it so well. Our enemy is a sly fox and he loves it when we “speed-read” through God’s love messages to us. He knows that when we are basking in God's love, we are not playing his games of ugliness, bitterness, woe-is-me-ness, sadness, and weakness. It's still February and the month of love. I am stirred up about how important it is for NOT speed-reading through the greatest love explanation that was ever written: 1 Corinthians 13. I'm sure you've heard that chapter in a ceremony of a wedding. If only we practiced what we heard and learned. Would you join me in reading these words today as if you’re seeing them for the very first time? Please try! And try, inserting your name where “Love” is said. For example: “Donna is patient and kind; does not envy or boast.” "Love is patient and kind; does not envy or boast; Love isn’t arrogant or rude; doesn’t insist on its own way; Love isn’t irritable or resentful; doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing; Love rejoices with the truth; bears all things; believes all things; Love hopes all things; endures all things. Love never fails." {1 Corinthians 13:4-7} Throughout the entire chapter, love is an action word, not an emotion. Love is something we do. It’s a game changer. At all times, regardless of circumstances, we’re called to love others. And not just others, we’re called to love our enemies! (Gasp!) (Matthew 5:43-48) We don’t know if Jesus felt love for the people who failed Him and treated Him horrifically, but we do have a glimpse into HOW He demonstrated His love — "but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” {Romans 5:8} Thanks be to our Lord who loves us enough, not just to command us to love others, but He showed us how. We love as God loves us. Tall order, but I want to live like that! "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." 1 John 4:16