Scripture Reads Us
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13
Insight
To reflect God's heart, we must know God's heart, and the Bible helps us see His heart, character, and ways.
The Bible is a collection of writings demonstrating God's love, pursuit, and promise of redemption. God-breathed and sovereignly preserved, it reveals to us who God is and what He has to say, ultimately pointing us to Jesus Christ as the most apparent revelation of God.
God creates by breathing life and working through human agency; His Spirit orders and animates. So, it's no surprise that what we have recorded with intentionality and care is a cooperative effort of God and His people - both human and divine.
These preserved words reveal God's purpose and teach us how to live as His people until our reunion with Him and the complete redemption of all God intended in this world.
From poetry, parables, and prose to historical accounts, prophecy, laws, and letters, Scripture contains various writing styles but a single message. Different authors living in different times, facing specific circumstances, and holding varying perspectives, but telling one unified story of God's redemptive purposes. Cultural, yet timeless. Written by people inspired by God.
The Bible is a collective story leading us to a compelling Jesus. Everything contained on its pages points to Him.
God's heart for humanity is Jesus, and encountering this truth in Scripture elicits a response - joy, obedience, confession, etc. We look to Scripture for communion rather than mere explanation or application.
We not only catch a glimpse of Christ when we reflect on the words, but we also shine a light on who we are and who we were made to be. We read Scripture, but Scripture also reads us, and this is why we can't consume it in isolation or rely solely on our limited perspective and interpretation.
God intended the Bible to be read in community, with reliance on the Holy Spirit, and in submission to the Lordship of Jesus. For our community to stand out, we must be molded and shaped by Scripture as we process its words together.
Reflection
What does it mean that "we read Scripture, but Scripture also reads us"?
How have you caught glimpses of the state of your soul, heart, and emotions when meditating on Scripture?
Prayer
God, may we trust Your Word, Lord, to work and move in us so that we may know You more. As we read Scripture, help us see Your grace, love, and forgiveness and how encountering You should shape everything about us. We pray all of these things in Your precious and Holy name, Amen. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.