Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:13
Do you love the scriptures? Do you look forward to reading them? Have you completed a total read through in a year or period of time? Getting to know the ‘Word’ both Logos and Rhema is so vital for your growth in understanding Him. The “Word’ has been part of my life for 50+ years. Now when I open them … I usually get a ‘flood’ of feelings of coming ‘Home’. They are very familiar to me. For many years I sought out a different translation each year to read through. I wanted every perspective I could find. Then I learned how to look up the original languages in college and basically do my own translation. Those years were foundational for my understanding of His Voice in my life. Because I built a filter / grid to understand His ways, and words – it become much easier to discern His Voice in my mind. The enemy’s voice was always a twist to something playing to my ego or fleshly life. The enemy loves to bring up my past mistakes and push me into guilt or shame. God chooses to see them no more as they have been confessed and covered by His Son’s blood. So learning when the enemy was attempting to say something in my mind contrary to the way my Lord would want me to go … it has become more and more obvious to me. Discipline and His fruit of self control (Galatians 5:23) are necessary for this place (earthly existence), to accomplish the path and plan He has for me.
Since the scriptures had become so familiar to me I would often ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the treasures and mysterious things in them. I came to love the ‘difficult’ or the singular tiny details in the stories / scriptures, with a desire to ‘dig’ into them, by research and with questions for the Holy Spirit. I still love to do this. He continues to ‘open’ up things, even though I had read them many times, that I never saw before. He reveals truths that always astound me. There are such treasures in the scriptures just waiting for you, and the Holy Spirit wants to lead you to them. But it takes effort and willingness to dig, and ask Him lots of questions for clues and truths for the path to them. It’s like the adventure of treasure hunting with Him.
All of this is why I love ‘story’. Jesus was a good story teller. He always had a parable to tell someone. Story helps a person to understand with a greater revelation. Also there are depths in story that can be revisited and treasure can be found that you missed the first time, if you allow Him to show you. Dreams are actually the same way. They can have lessons in them that will teach you for years if you let Him explain them to you. Story immerses you into another dimension in different ways. I try not to go ‘willy nilly’ into just any story, but as I ask Him, He points out certain stories (books, movies) to me that I know He has a lesson for me in them. Reading / watching with Him is certainly the BEST way to experience stories. Because He will point out the untruths and truths, showing me what the reality really is. He is my Guide and Teacher. And boy …does He LOVE story.
So I’ve been led down a path of creating ‘stories’. Together with Him we go on great adventures in those stories. Hopefully those stories will cause the readers to connect with Him in deeper ways as well, and make them want to seek Him out even more.
Do you connect with stories? Next time you’re reading / listening / watching a story ask Him to be with you and explain things to you.