Are you Hiking-in His Word?
4-3-17
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a
light to my path. Psalm 119:105
Sometimes I like to take a hike through the Word of God during
my daily reads. I get started in one area, but then there is a reference to
another section of the Bible; and then I follow the trails that it leads me to
and often will find a note I stuck in there on a book mark with another
scripture. If I get that scripture searched out it often will cause me pause to
think and then I realize I forgot where I started! I am lost in the Word!
Sometimes a mere daily read can bring me an hour of delight in
the Word of God. Other times a nibble helps me make it through the day with
enough nourishment.
Often I hear people talk about being lost in the whole idea of
studying or reading their Bibles daily; it is not as hard as it may at first
seem; that is why I began writing daily reading books.
It reminds me of hiking up the trail to the top of Mt Lassen. It
is clear, but has spaces to step off and rest on a rock here and there, as long
as you keep to the trail you will reach the top where there is a place to see
the center of a volcano steaming and still active! What a delight it was to
reach the peak. Along the way there were
some dangers; if we had gone to the right instead of the left we would have
fallen more than a hundred feet to a ravine. In another spot if we took a few
steps off the path we would have been in slippery snow, even in the middle of
the Summer months.
T herefore we also, since we are surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so
easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
When we read the Bible we need to remember that there is a path
to follow and even though there are many ways to follow the path, we need to be
sure to ‘listen’ to the Holy Spirit prompt us as we read. We may not want to
read a full chapter, but if we stop we will never get to the beauty at the top!
Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let
us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His
ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the law
shall go forth, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
There are a lot of different trails out there; some go up
mountains some through rolling Hills. One marvelous trail we like to frequent
when guests come is at Black Diamond Mines Regional Park. Part of the hike
there is on rocks, dirt and even wooden stairs! You can choose to hike up one
cow trail where you often have to dodge cows or you ca choose to wander through
the trees and hills for a full days hike. I think reading the bible is a lot
like this. There are so many ways to go at it!
You can take the easy road, buy a devotional study and follow
the path laid out on the level side; or go a bit rougher and take the mile or
two hike for pleasure through an actual study on a certain topic. Or you can
bump it up and really read an glean from everything you read studying it out by
yourself or in a group; just as you do on the long hikes. Bring a friend, drink
lots of ‘water’ and include the Holy Spirit as your guide!
You will show me the path of life; in Your
presence is fullness of joy;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
Sometimes when we read the Word it is like a treasure trail that we have heard about and
we actual tried before; you hike following the direction on the internet and your
‘gps’ or a map of the parks.
If you follow precise direction you will find a treasure; the
idea is you take something out of the box, put in something that you brought
and rebury it. My Bible looks like this,
I glean from it and write little notes around what I have read for whoever
reads it after I am gone. I got that idea from my great grandmother’s Bible
that she left to my mother. She had notes on the edges for my mom to read, it
made reading it so much more enjoyable knowing Grama Mia had written notes to
her I am sure!
How ever you hike through the Word, whether it be the long trail
or the short one; be sure to read everything you have before you and do not
stop until you know you are at the end of that trail!
Think about it; if you were hiking to Mt Lassen and decided to
stop half way up and not go any further, you would not see the melting pot of
the volcano. If you were hiking inside the Diamond Mine you would not see the
most awesome place at the end of the visitor portion of the mine if you stop
before you get there.
Its like that with our reading of the Word each day; keep
reading until you know you are where you need to be for that day. That is my
plan. I have done the daily reading Bibles, and read through in less than a
year plans, but the joy I find the most are the days that I begin with a plan
and continue through old notes and create some new additions to them,
continuing through the path that God has laid out before me, in His Word.
This week I want to challenge you to find the beginning point of
your trail, take a note tab, or a colored pencil and flag your way through the
Word following a topic or a rabbit trail hike through the Word using the notes
and scriptures noted in your Bible. Then go
back and check it out in a month and follow your own directions and see what
you got out of it then and what you find in it now. Just like with a hike its
often the same path but usually different depending on the day or the season.
Dear Heavenly Father, give us
a path to follow and help us to mark the path that we may travel it often as we
glean from Your Word and delight in Your handiwork, in Jesus name, amen.
Suggested Reading
