Rescue.
The word itself is such an integral piece of my story with Jesus and I would guess you might say the same. Rescue what He has done for me and what He continues to do for me still. He has rescued me from the consequences of my own sin and He continues to rescue me from the consequences of living in a broken world. His job as our Rescuer is limitless. There is no end or beginning to it, rescue is simply what Jesus does.
One of the ways Jesus rescued me from the fear of living with a scary medical diagnosis is by giving me a job to do. He shifted my focus away from the major threats associated with my disorder as He plunged me headfirst into women’s ministry. I teach the Bible today because it’s the only thing capable of piercing through my fear.
But that’s not the only reason. To be completely candid with you, I teach the Bible now because I have not always adored it. There was a season in my life where I didn’t see its relevance nor did I recognize its beauty, but it wasn’t always this way.
I first fell in love with Scripture when I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior. I was twelve then and by the time I got to high school God had grown a deep appreciation in me for His Word. My high school English teacher was also my Sunday School teacher, so Monday through Friday I learned how to analyze words of classic literature and on Sunday I learned how to analyze the words of God. I adored both. The Bible is a nerd’s paradise and I was never at a loss for learning. I continued to consume it, study it, and eventually teach it regularly.
Until, tragedy.
Bitter and broken after the sudden loss of my father, I didn’t open the pages of God’s Word for about four years.
Those were the darkest four years of my life.
But then, rescue.
In a way that only Jesus could orchestrate, He lovingly and patiently wooed me back into a close and personal relationship with Him. It began on my back porch, before sunrise, as I dusted off the Bible my grandparents gave me when I was eleven. I turned the pages to remember the God who had never left my side, even though everything in this broken world tried to convince me otherwise. The holy words rushed back into my heart and washed over my pain. They changed me and I was rescued, again.
That was almost seven years ago and since then God took my original love for His Word and multiplied it tenfold. His Word is a warm blanket covering me. It’s a spur in my side to get me moving. It’s the flashlight along a dark and winding path as we walk this earth together.
But I’ll be the first to admit that the Bible can also be intimidating. If you don’t understand what you are reading, if you don’t know where to start, or maybe even if you’ve lost sight of the beauty of the Bible, this devotional reading plan is for you. Over the next six weeks, we’re going to give ourselves a boost of confidence as we read God’s Word. Each week, we’ll look at passages from six different genres of Bible literature as we apply it to our lives:
- Week 1 – Law
- Week 2 – History
- Week 3 – Wisdom & Poetry
- Week 4 – Prophecy
- Week 5 – Gospels
- Week 6 – Letters
Each of these different types of Biblical writings has something important to teach us about God and something valuable to learn about ourselves. At the heart of it all is a God who is determined to rescue the world because of His unfathomable love. His Word tells that story. And together, we’ll rediscover the Bible as His love story written for you and me.
Want to read along with me? Request to join my private Facebook group and I’ll slide you write in.
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