I listened to a podcast yesterday in preparation for an upcoming seminar I'm teaching in Illinois. The topic itself is full of all sorts of interesting sub-topics, debates, and questions. It's a complex and curious subject to explore.
However, the two men I was listening to were dreadfully boring. The episode was two hours long but they made it feel like three. It was striking how they could take a hotly-debated Bible topic and make it about as thrilling as the fine-print warranty that comes with a wristwatch.
In our efforts to study the Bible, we should take care to keep it exciting--because the Bible itself is exciting. We are not to make it riveting, we are to discover its riveting nature.
Some people don't study because they don't like to read. And for them, there's not much help in life. Reading is essential to all true growth. Others, though, refrain from reading the Bible for the same reason they refrain from reading their car's instruction manual. They suppose they'll be confused, bewildered, and frustrated.
But such is not the case. God has spoken in a way that is both plain and helpful, all the while keeping things exciting.
If you're looking for exciting spots in the Bible to get started, check out the stories in Genesis 34, Numbers 16-17, Judges 7, 2 Kings 22, Nehemiah 4, Acts 19, or Acts 27.
Great reminder.
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