A new way to look at the scripture

I am not very good at developing "click bait" titles to bring in the traffic, but maybe today's got you. No, I am not getting ready to espouse some updated attempt to translate scripture. I am getting ready to tell you how my devotion time has been helped and blessed by looking at the scriptures through a specific set of lenses. Perhaps your devo time has gotten a bit stagnant, mired by the habit of it all. I know some people that like to rotate how they do or what they read during their private time with the Lord each day. Wait...You DO have a private time with the Lord each day, RIGHT? Well, if you don't, you may not even know where to begin so keep reading.

But you should have a private (=intimate) time with this person you say you love and who loves you most dearly.

Over the last several weeks, a few points have emerged from my devo time and I have been literally writing them down and responding to them. To the point, here they are with a little explanation.

• Personal Impression...Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ can seen on every page of your Bible. He should. He is the Word. John 1:1 tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." A pastor friend of mine is spending every day of this year presenting Jesus from the pages of the Bible, even from the Old Testament. It's a very good video series that you can find on this Facebook page. During your time in God's word, realize the personal impression of Jesus in the passage. What attribute, characteristic, or quality do you see? Is there a picture or type of Jesus? An easy example would be Psalm 23 where the Lord is pictured as a shepherd leading, providing, and protecting. 

• Practical Implication...The Bible can be broken into some very distinctive segments: poetry, history, prophecy, and several others. In every one of those portions of scripture there is a encouragement to be found to help you live a life that would lift up Christ and glorify God. In our example of Psalm 23, the first verse says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." What practical action can I take to more live a fuller and richer life for the glory of God? from this verse, I can begin to live a life of contentment and gratitude. Or perhaps the implication there is to stop complaining. Listen, the Bible is a great read, but James says in his book in chapter 1 and verse 22, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

• Prayer Imperative...If the Bible is God speaking to you, and it is, then the appropriate response is to speak back. "I don't know what to say." I know. Many times, I do not either. When I do know what to say, it becomes a "Christmas Wish List" of blessings here and there. The psalmist wrote, "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" in Psalm 138:2. God has magnified His word above His own name. That tells me that this word is probably His favorite thing to hear. What better words could be used to pray than His own? As you read, be aware of the things God is revealing about himself, about your self, things that you should be praying about. Perhaps you are convicted of sin. Note that and in prayer, confess it. Maybe you see something you should be or should be doing. Give it to the Lord in prayer. Again, from our example, you might pray, "Lord, help me to be obedient and submitted to your will as you lead me in paths of righteousness and may I learn to trust you and not fear, knowing your presence is always with me."

I hope that you can use these three "lenses" to view your Bible reading through and that as you see Jesus revealed, as well as Bible truth for your life, you would go to the Lord in prayer. This certainly is not the only or best way to study the Bible, but it has sure been helpful for me and I pray this perspective helps you.