So Far, So Good

I love to read. I have ever since I first learned. I used to go to the school and public libraries and pick out three or four books a week to read. But I've never read the Bible completely through. Why is that? Well, I have come to the realization that although the Bible was written by holy men of God who were used by the Spirit to write these things down for us, we are a people of impatience. And the Bible translators were very well-educated men. I, however, am not a well-educated person. Even though I do read a lot, I don't read really deep things and find it hard to comprehend things I'm reading unless it is told to me in easy-to-understand language. I have started over and over in Genesis, even in the New International Version, and gotten pretty far before I quit. My kids even gave me the Bible on CDs and that was good and I got as far as Leviticus. But it still wasn't working. So, the other day I'm trying to decide what to do about my new committment to reading and studying God's word and something came into my mind. When we first moved to Regina in 1993, we were in a Bible Study with Al and Jenny Ramsey. It was a good study and we started off every lesson by reading the scripture passage from "The Message". This is a translation of the Bible that makes it into more of an easy-to-read novel. I thoroughly enjoyed this study and always considered getting a copy of The Message, but never did. So, here I am, this woman who has been a believer since she was 6 and knows lots of scriptures, hearing the stories from the Gospels in a totally different way. I thought, "Why not use this translation this new journey I am on?" and decided to go and buy a copy of The Message. I have been reading in Matthew and oh my, it really does make a difference. Sure, it's the same scripture I've always heard and studied, but said differently and is more easy to understand. I have never been a scholar and any books I've read had to be easy to understand and enjoyable. Well, that's how this translation is for me. The Lord is really using it to make me see things I should have seen all along, but never really thought about. It makes me excited and a little afraid - what if I fail again? It wouldn't be the first time something has made me get really enthusiastic about reading the Bible. But no, this time, I am committed to reading and studying the scriptures. I just pray I can keep this enthusiasm going. "Lord help me to remember Your word! Thank you for giving us Your word, creating us and making it possible for us to be Your children."