I have been reading through my Bible at least once (almost every year) since 1985. I have a specific Bible-reading plan that I like. I have read through my Bible once already this year (a plus of “adjusting” to retirement).
I am about a third of the way through the second reading, but I noticed that something is off in this second reading. I am skipping over some things, rushing through others, looking at passages with an eye on devotions rather than on my own heart’s needs and desires.
I talked to a friend who recently came back from a two-week vacation visiting others. One of the persons she visited remarked that his reading had become “routine,” so he changed the way he read. He decided rather than just reading through, he would search out topics or themes and study that way.
That is what I need to do also. As I thought more about that this morning, I realized that God had already dropped the theme in my heart. I need to study the Holy Spirit – not in a superficial way leaning on others’ discoveries in books, but an in-depth study of my own through my Bible.
I think the Holy Spirit is being pushed aside in our churches. It is far easier (and less dangerous) to study what other churches have done or are doing and employ their ideas than it is to turn the Spirit loose and let Him do as He wants.
Maybe, also, we carried the “decently and in order” [1 Cor 4:40) way past where Paul intended, so much so that we are rigid and obstinate to anything the Spirit wants to do.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 contains a series of things we often quote, “Rejoice always! Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” but how much attention do we give to the next verse, “Don’t stifle [quench] the Spirit.” [HCSB]
If we want to see God move, if want to see miracles and multitudes of people come to the living God, we must stop stifling (quenching) the Spirit of God in our midst.
