I’m not a runner. Actually, I’m not even a walker😊
But one day I was gifted a pair of earbuds, and suddenly running sounded like a perfect idea. Worship music blaring in my ears? Yes, ma’am. Sign me up.
I imagined myself flying like the wind.
One evening at dusk I slipped my feet into the never-worn tennis shoes I’d had for months and set out for a jog.
Daylight was dwindling, so I knew it would be a quick first-time run. I started out with a fast walk, smiling as uplifting music filled my ears.
By the time I got to our neighborhood walking trail, I noticed a star reveal itself in the darkening sky. The walking path was unlit, and by then I couldn’t see more than a few yards ahead of me.
Undaunted by the looming darkness, I took off running.
Then, only a few steps in, a deep rut caught my foot and sent me tumbling.
Oh, the pain!
My left knee was cut and my right ankle was throbbing. With all the strength I could muster, I gritted my teeth and limped home.
By then I was crying, mad at myself for ignoring the oncoming darkness that made the rut in the path impossible to see.
Stumbling
Before I made it to my front door, I was struck with an awareness of how many times my stubbornness causes me to fall. Not just on a running trail, but spiritually.
Like the psalmist, I know without a doubt that “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105, HCSB). In my Bible, God provides direction, guidance, and healthy boundaries. Yet I constantly ignore His instructions. Like a runner oblivious to the ruts in a path, I go my own way, run my own show, and refuse to acknowledge I’m headed for darkness.
Without God’s Word to light my path, I’ll never get to where I want to go spiritually.
As I bandaged my knee and examined my foot, I made a couple of promises to myself:
(1) No more running 😊
(2) A lot more following after God
Why should I read the Bible?
Nothing has impacted my understanding of God and my intimacy with Him like consistent Bible study. In fact, any time I’m feeling “distant” from God, I can almost guarantee you I’ve let something get in the way of my personal Bible study time.
Why should I read the Bible? Like the prophet Jeremiah, I can honestly say—
“Your words are what sustain me; they are food to my hungry soul. They bring joy to my sorrowing heart and delight me. How proud I am to bear your name, O Lord”
Jeremiah 15:16, TLB
If you’ve been wanting to study the Bible for yourself and if you want to actually enjoy reading it, I wrote this post for you. If you need a little motivation to get started, read this.
