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I'd had a hard week, a long one. It had been a few days since I'd read my Bible. I was 6 days overdue for reading the pages in the book Biblical Doctrine I'm studying with an online group, and the new weekly study was going to come out the next day. If I didn't do some reading I'd be a week behind in the study, and I was already a few days behind in Bible reading. When I read the ten pages suggested for the Doctrine study, I always also read a chapter in The Hidden Life of Prayer by David MacIntyre. I hadn't read that either, even though it would only represent a few pages of reading and wasn't especially hard or time-consuming.
It infuriates me when I do this. I exclaim aloud as Paul did in Romans 7:15-20, 24 why do I do the things I don't want to do and do the things I don't want to do? Who will deliver me from this body of death?
I didn't desire to be behind any more. Nor did I want to neglect my God any further. I buckled down and read all my pages, the Bible, the weekly Bible Study, and my chosen book on Prayer. I took a leisurely two and a half hours to do it, though given the number of pages, the actual reading time could have been shorter. But the amazing thing is, the longer I read the Word, and the deeper I went into the Doctrine study, the more relaxed I became. I wanted to stay with it. I enjoyed it tremendously. I luxuriated in reading a bit, then lifting my eyes and praying in exultation, pondering a while, then reading some more. I was amazed when I finished, it felt like just one minute had passed.
When I finished I felt refreshed and relaxed. I felt good, through and through. Why is that?
I confessed my laziness to several of the men in my Bible Study group the next night. I mentioned the amazing feeling afterward, the energy and freshness I'd felt when I concluded my personal session. Why is that? And why do I put it off when I know that the Lord is worth the discipline, and that I'll be receiving the gift of His presence through the scriptures, not to mention the bonus of the fresh and energized feeling?
They both said,
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; (Psalm 19:7).
The answer is simple- the scriptures refresh like no other activity, item, discipline, food or drink on earth. They refresh totally because they are not from earth.
His word revives the very soul.
It infuriates me when I do this. I exclaim aloud as Paul did in Romans 7:15-20, 24 why do I do the things I don't want to do and do the things I don't want to do? Who will deliver me from this body of death?
I didn't desire to be behind any more. Nor did I want to neglect my God any further. I buckled down and read all my pages, the Bible, the weekly Bible Study, and my chosen book on Prayer. I took a leisurely two and a half hours to do it, though given the number of pages, the actual reading time could have been shorter. But the amazing thing is, the longer I read the Word, and the deeper I went into the Doctrine study, the more relaxed I became. I wanted to stay with it. I enjoyed it tremendously. I luxuriated in reading a bit, then lifting my eyes and praying in exultation, pondering a while, then reading some more. I was amazed when I finished, it felt like just one minute had passed.
When I finished I felt refreshed and relaxed. I felt good, through and through. Why is that?
I confessed my laziness to several of the men in my Bible Study group the next night. I mentioned the amazing feeling afterward, the energy and freshness I'd felt when I concluded my personal session. Why is that? And why do I put it off when I know that the Lord is worth the discipline, and that I'll be receiving the gift of His presence through the scriptures, not to mention the bonus of the fresh and energized feeling?
They both said,
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; (Psalm 19:7).
The answer is simple- the scriptures refresh like no other activity, item, discipline, food or drink on earth. They refresh totally because they are not from earth.
His word revives the very soul.
That verse has been in my mind lately. I'm glad you were revived!
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