By Theresa Blume
Years ago, I stumbled across a way of studying the Bible that gives me so much more perspective that I want to share it with you. Maybe others do this, but since I study by myself, I don't know that this is a standard.
First I have 5 different places in the Bible that I study at one time. Some in the Old Testament, some in the New Testament, and something in the middle, like the Psalms. Instead of just reading a certain chapter or whatever, I pick up where I left off last time and write every single word, exactly as it is written. I use the exact punctuation too. I don't know when I started doing this, but I have discovered amazing results.
I find more powerful understanding in the words that I would have totally missed if I had been just reading it. I feel totally immersed in the Word of God as I write each word for the first time. I feel like I was actually there when God called Abraham, or Jesus called the disciples, and it says "they followed". I find it interesting that there is no detail after that statement. They didn't say, "Let me check my schedule,", or "What time?" or "What shall I pack?" They simply, immediately followed.
I ask myself if I would have the faith to drop everything else immediately, no questions asked, and just follow! We don't know who they left behind, what they were planning, what they were wearing. I love the simpleness of some of those statements.
Another example I love in Mark 1:29, when Jesus was at Simon Peter's home for the first time, and they told Him that the mother-in-law was sick. First of all, that tells me that Simon had a wife, yet he still followed Jesus without any hesitation. Jesus performs the miracle of healing her and then the simple sentence, "And she served them." This woman gets up from being sick, and instead of making it all about herself and how sick she was, etc, she gets up and serves them. This is cool to me because I would love the opportunity to be healed of my own chronic illness and have the energy, strength, and ability to serve Jesus! This paragrah of only two sentences tells us so much. Simon's wife was taking care of her mother in his house, so there must have been some stress there. By simply following Jesus when told, Simon gained the benefit of less stress because his mother-in-law was now well! Today many baby boomers are caring for their sick parents and I'm sure they can relate. Who knows all the implications of this situation? Simon was just a fisherman, who may have been too poor to pay for a doctor, or a doctor was unable to heal her; then Jesus comes along and just like that she is now serving not only Jesus, but Simon and his brother too!
As I write these words out, I am with them, feeling like I am seeing them for the first time in real life. Writing slows the process down enough to process it and feel it. I study just before going to bed, so as I go to sleep I'm still thinking about Simon, his wife, his brother, and what that household must have been like. Being a mother-in-law is a high position and she must have felt bad about being sick and having her daughter and son-in-law see her so sick. Jesus righted her place as the main cook, the one who had the most experience to serve the best food, and take charge of the guests. Jesus gave her the opportunity to serve Him! I'm sure her exhausted daughter was grateful for the relief too! So much to think about in such a small paragraph! But if we just read it, we might not take the time and miss the experience of being there.
There are different kinds of Bibles to choose from, but I myself prefer the King James version, without any paraphrasing. I want to write the words as close to the truth as possible and then let the Holy Spirit come through my pen bringing it to life. In fact, if I am in doubt, I read the Torah, given to me by a beautiful friend because I know that the Torah is the closest I can get to the original writings. The Torah provides the first beginnings of our Biblical history, and I can go as far as Ecclesiastes with it. Fortunately we have several accounts in the New Testament to give us a complete of picture of Christ's time on earth and beyond.
I have had another interesting outcome from writing out the Bible in long hand, and that is my pennmanship is nearly perfect now after a few years of this. I can't describe it, but it's like I am more grounded, more confident, and more mature in being able to write perfectly. When I write a check out at the grocery store, I feel as though my check is blessed to provide food for my family. It seems there is always enough money in that checkbook since I've slowed down and paid attention. Even writing a note on a card is more special, or anything where I use my hands to write. I may be so bold as to say I feel like my hands have been blessed from writing the Word of God out. I feel sorry for the younger generation who almost never have to use a pen or pencil, and when they do, they become impatient and are messy. It's more than increasing finger muscle. It's like finishing who I am.
If you are ready to enter a higher level of spiritual study, try this method for yourself, stick with it, write the entire Bible in long hand, and over the course of time, you will see what I have gained for myself. I would love to give you what I have, but only you can get it for yourself. I would wager that if something is missing in your life, and you feel "unfinished", you might find it in writing the Word of God in long hand fulfills your spirit in a whole new way.
Philippians 1:6
"...being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"
