I have been so “into” bible study lately. I have been hungry to know all I can about
bible history and timeline. As I learn
more and more I experience God in a deeper way, more of the big picture. As AJ reminded me, it is like putting
together a puzzle. God made the puzzle
and we each get to put it back together, and as we do we discover and learn so
much.
There is an analogy that a young boy saw some needle point
that his grandma was working on and thought it was an ugly mess. But then she turned it around and he saw a
beautiful piece of art. He was just looking
at it from the wrong side. Just like we
are looking at God’s handiwork from earth and he sees it from heaven.
I have met bible scholars who have learned and eventually
forgotten more than I will ever know about the bible. Yet sometimes I don’t see joy in their lives. We need to remember that acquiring head
knowledge may get us a satisfied mind, but our soul may still be hungry.
The bible talks about the Pharisees, men who knew scripture
very well. They knew right from wrong
and attempted to serve God by teaching everyone about sin and how to behave. They had vast head knowledge of God. But a mind cannot understand love. Try to define love and your brain falls
short.
Love equals grace.
And your head does not understand grace because it is not logical. It is not justice. Your head just has to decide to accept
it.
Yes, love is a verb. But
love is also a noun. I bet you can’t describe
it. It is not just emotion. It is (as the song goes) more than a feeling. The band Boston was singing about the
feelings and emotions that music brought to their lives. The Holy Spirit is like music in that
way. If you can describe what it is like
to experience music then you may be able to describe what it is like to
experience interaction with God.
Everyone who has experienced God’s love becomes a teacher, a
profit of sorts. Each testimony teaches
others yet another aspect of grace, and more pieces of that puzzle.
God is to be experienced with your whole soul, your mind,
yes, but also your heart and emotions.
Thank God for our emotions. They
get a bad rap. But how else would you
know the peace that comes from silent prayers to the One who never leaves you? How else could you gasp at the thrill of finding
a new piece of the puzzle? How else
could you sing with passion and joy? Peace, thrill, and joy are all emotions, aren’t
they?
So as I study the events and facts of the bible and get head
knowledge of God, I also need to connect with the Holy Spirit by silently
talking to Him about what is on my heart, and in my life, right now.
