Pink Underlines in Old Testament Books

I have wanted to post on this for so long, and yet so many less important things have gotten in the way. I suppose that partially I don't even begin to assume I know my Old Testament well enough to actually write about it, and to be honest, I feel like I should know it far better than I do after 20-some-years of walking with Jesus. This fact alone causes me to second guess whatever I have thought about writing, and continuously makes me wonder if I am going to post something heretical or wrong, or just plain confusing. 

But then I realized that the only thing I really want to share is how God is giving me such a thirst for the Old Testament. A thirst that I have only longed for and prayed for for what feels like forever. I have had so many attempts at reading the entire Bible. Sometimes I am able to get rather far, while other times I stop in March with a list of three weeks worth of passages I'm already behind in. Even in those "successful" times of reading through the Bible, I have honestly skimmed over so many parts of the Old Testament. I mean, at some point doesn't everyone get sick of Numbers? Doesn't it make sense to scan Levitical codes, since they are so outdated anyway?

It does make sense. But we worship a God who doesn't always "make sense". Paul puts it in no uncertain terms in 1 Corinthians 3:19a "For the wisdom of this world is folly with God". While I struggle to wrap my mind around the fact that God's knowledge and power and wisdom is so much more incredible than I can ever have words to describe, I also find myself often too easily satisfied. I glance through my reading plan passage in, for example, 2 Kings, and find myself confused by the Kings of Israel versus Judah and simply move on. I check the box of reading my daily portion, pat myself on the back, and read something actually relevant, like a psalm or a letter of Paul's. 

This is how my Bible reading has been nearly all of my life until recently. Granted, there are still days when it continues to be like that, but God has transformed my heart so radically during these past few months. I am actually enjoying the Old Testament. I drank up Leviticus. I poured over 1 Kings. Seriously. As in, "yes I know this is where my reading plan says I stop for today, but I just have to know what happens next...". Let me stop here. This is not at all any of my doing. Nope. On my own I am prideful and arrogant and if something doesn't immediately resonate with me or seem compelling I will scoff at it and pay no attention to it. On my own, I could care less about who killed which King of Israel or what Syria did to which King of Judah. 

It would make no sense for me to be so excited about any of this. But, again, God's ways do not always make sense, do they. I've been reading this chronological reading plan, and God has worked so mightily through it. I don't go by the dates, but use it as a guide to walk through the Bible during my devotional time each day. That way my pride doesn't become stroked when I am "on track" or despair doesn't creep in when I am "behind". I just get to sit and enjoy learning more about the character of God through the kings of Judah and Israel, the Levitical priesthood codes, and his covenantal people of Israel. 

I would so encourage anyone to actually pray for God to use the Old Testament to reveal more of himself and his character to you as you read it. I felt so silly for so long wondering why I didn't like the Old Testament, and yet never believed that God desires me to adore him and be filled with awe towards him - so many times he answers this prayer through his Word itself. I am excited to step out in boldness and share with you what the Lord is highlighting in my heart through the Old Testament in the coming weeks and months, and can't wait to hear how he uses his Word to captivate your heart as well! 

Until next post,
Sola Dei Gloria