Take A Second Helping

The new year has begun. It is probably not coincidence that a new season of The Biggest Loser started as the calendar turned over – after the indulgence of the holidays many of us are ready to make some changes and are hopeful about seeing some benefit to reward our conviction. So, it’s portion control, avoiding the second helping, walking away from the table, examining the ingredients, and re-channeling our thoughts.

There is an area of our lives, though, in which we are encouraged to be utterly indulgent – extravagant, even: reading God’s Word. Taste and see, drink deeply from the well, sweeter than honey, milk and meat. Take in more or it, either the same thing again or vary your diet. Let it be more than vitamins and supplements; instead, think of it as food to build strong bones and fuel your life.

Your deacons are reading through the Bible together this year following Pastor Gage’s Quiet Time Made Easy plan. By the time this article is published we will have read eighteen books of the New Testament and will be in the middle of Revelation. It’s terrific – we are reacquainting ourselves with passages that are oh-so-familiar, passing again through material that has been preached on in recent months, reviewing doctrine, marveling at the technique of the writers, and taking note of passages to revisit for further study and reflection. For me, it is an opportunity to be indulgent in healthy things that are so powerful for a believer: learning how God thinks, what God wants, and how God works.

One of my students described the Bible to me once as “Jesus in black and white” – I love that. Read the Bible and realize that you are connecting with God. Exercise portion control on the plus side! Don’t taper down. Instead, upgrade and super-size!