The title is eventually relevant, I promise.
Ya know what I realized this week? Or acknowledged I guess is more accurate, that I have never read through the whole bible. Especially the old testament. I figured if I plan to tell the world about Jesus and His word, maybe I should know it a little better myself.
I had supper a few days ago with Derek and bearded Josh. We went to this pizza stand up the road from our hostel, and as we sat Josh had a question about a passage in Ezekiel that he shared with Derek. Derek went and read the passage aloud to us and the two kind of bounced ideas off of each other of what they thought it meant.
I looked at myself internally and realized that, to my knowledge, I had never even read Ezekiel. I think he’s definitely probably a prophet, but to be honest I wouldn’t have bet a box of cookies and cream pop tarts on that. Then Josh turned to me and asked me where I’ve been reading in the bible, and for a second I didn’t know. I had been haphazardly reading it without a plan and without much thought because I know that’s what I’m supposed to do. I wasn’t reading it to learn it. i wasn’t reading it with as much attention as I read the Hunger Games and Harry Potter. I told him I was reading through the Johns, which was true, but I couldn’t have told him what they were about.
I decided that that was absolutely ridiculous. That I was being ridiculous And for too long now I had been okay with that. Spartans didn’t walk into battle without rock hard abs and swords, street artists don’t walk up to their wall canvas without spray paint, I don’t walk into my parents bathroom at home without cat food for the cats. So why am I walking on the mission field unarmed?
I picked up my bible that night and started doing this thing for real. I started in the Johns, actually paying attention this time, hit Jude (which I’m still not sure why that was written or what its about, but I’m looking into it) and now I’m into Revelation (which is like, real cool, kinda weird, slightly scary). I won’t go in any particular order, I won’t put myself on a time scale for success, I think that makes it intimidating and less possible for me personally, but I plan to continue gathering ammo, armor, and supplies for this battle. Not because I have to or because I should, but because I want to give my all. I want to love God well and serve Him well, and so I will.
