A Beautiful Tapestry

I’ve been reading through the book of Ezra.  It isn’t a book that I have spent a lot of time in, so as I’m reading through it I’m realizing that I actually have a lot of questions about the timeline and connectivity to other books like Nehemiah and Esther.  And specifically to the rebuilding of the temple.

The thing I love about reading Scripture is that even though I’ve been reading these books since I was a little girl there is always something new for me to see and learn.    

At different stages in my life, different elements in Scripture have stood out to me and sparked curiosity within me.  The more I learn about Scripture the more curious I am and the deeper I want to dig.  The more I learn about the culture during the time Scripture was written, the more I realize there is still so much I don’t know!

There have been seasons in my life when Scripture was something I looked at as a chore to complete or something to check off a to-do list.  But somewhere along the way, I began to realize that it was so much more than that.  I began to realize that reading Scripture was an invitation to know more about the character of God and to better understand the story of redemption woven like a tapestry throughout the story.

When I am unsure about what God is up to or speaking to me the first place I go is Scripture.  As I open the pages and read the words there I hear God speaking, telling a story that has been taking place long before I existed and will carry on long after I am gone.  And I am reminded that I am invited to join in that story.

Scripture continues to form me forty-plus years after first encountering it, and I know it will continue to form me for the rest of my days.

If you have a to-do list mentality when it comes to Scripture, I encourage you to ask yourself why you feel that way and then consider what it would look like for it to no longer be a chore to complete, but rather an invitation to discover the story you’ve been invited to join.

~  Melissa