Last week, as I typically do, I attended the men’s Bible study at our church. After some needed coffee and a round of handshakes, I settled in to listen to the lesson from one of our church’s pastors.
“Look at your Bible and the passages that you highlight or underline,” he said. “Are they only the things that you like? Or do you highlight the stuff that’s hard, the stuff that challenges you? Remember that the Bible is God’s Word, and all of it is true. Don’t just cherry-pick the things you like.”
Boom.
Yep. That’s convicting.
We love it when Jesus talks about love. Love, love, love. It’s so wonderful.
But we hate it when he talks about obedience. That’s a downer. That would mean we would have to cede control of our lives to Him.
We love it when Jesus talks about forgiving us.
But we hate it when Jesus talks about us forgiving our neighbors.
We love it when Jesus promises to take care of us and meet our earthly needs.
But we hate it when Jesus talks about the fact that we may suffer persecution because we’re Christian.
So,
How much of your Bible is highlighted?
What’s the split between “easy” verses and “hard” verses?
Are you an equal-opportunity highlighter, or do you cherry pick?
Finally, what are your favorite “hard” verses?
Let me know in the comments.
Today’s Prayer
Holy Father, you are the creator and sustainer of the world. We affirm our desire to see your will done both on earth and in heaven. We thank you for loving us so much that you sent your Son to die in our place, to ransom us from sin, to give us the freedom that we could never achieve by ourselves through the Law. Thank you for your Holy Word and the truth that is contained there. Help us to value not just the “easy" parts, but also the “hard” parts, maybe especially the “hard” parts. Amen.
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I attended a Bible study at church recently that talked about loving our neighbors.
”Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.“
Leviticus 19:18 KJV
So very hard to do these days. 😢
I highlight the passages I love but also the passages that pertain to or parallel what is going on today.