(Testament, that is.)
My go-to book of the Bible is Psalms. If I'm not doing a specific study or devotion, I always default to Psalms for my quiet time. But if I'm not feeling Psalms one day, I'll mix it up with a some Proverbs. Or maybe Isaiah. I've been known to peruse Deuteronomy at my leisure, and even some Jeremiah. 'Cuz I'm crazy like that. But the point is, I'm an Old Testament girl...an OT gangsta. It's my absolute favorite. It's my preference. It's my posse.
It's not because I'm converting to Judaism and forsaking the Messiah or anything. Pa-lease. I heart my Jesus. It's just that I'm a reader and a writer -- I love a good story and mental imagery. I so appreciate a good word picture. And the OT is chock full of beautiful prose. To the brim! (David's psalms, especially, send me over the moon.) Take, for example, Psalm 19:4-5:
"In them he has set a tent for the sun.
Which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and like a strong man, runs its course with joy."
I mean, have you ever? A tent for the sun?? It's enchanting. I swoon.
This morning, however, I found my fingers flipping past Psalms and past Isaiah. Even past Jeremiah and Amos and Haggai. And they found themselves in Hebrews. Hebrews, chapter 1 to be exact. And I don't know about you, but as familiar as I am with Hebrews, I have never, ever read chapter 1. And I'd go so far as to bet $5 that you haven't either. In the richness that is the book of Hebrews, poor chapter 1 gets the shaft.
But I'm here to tell you that I read it today. And it almost fulfilled my OT-enchanting-word-pictures-love-tank. Almost.
Like, it's a solid 87% full.
Let me share.
Verse one starts out like any good story should, so I was instantly hooked:
"Long ago, at many times and in many ways..."
"...God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also created the world."
Okay...I'm in. What's the rest of the story?
"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,
and he upholds the universe by the word of his power."
That's some pretty good word pictures for me.
The rest of chapter goes on to compare how much more majestic and authoritative Jesus is than the angels. But what I love about it is the author (who is unknown, which I never knew until today either) presents it in a way I can appreciate as a person who loves stories. It was like dialogue.
I won't retype the entire chapter for you. But if you want a quick perusal, you can read it here.
The point of all this isn't how much you like one part of the Bible more than the other. The point is...God is always doing something new. Sometimes you have to get out of your personal spiritual routine. I can easily get into a rut with what I read and what I study and how I worship. But God's word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). But if all I do is the same old thing day after day, I won't get the breadth of life that He has for me. There's always more. There is life abundant waiting for me (John 10:10). And discovering something I love about the Bible in a new way today reminded me of that.
"But forget all that --
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun!
Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
(Isaiah 43:18-19)
What is something new God wants to do in your life today?
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