New Beginnings
Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp?for my feet,
????a light?on my path.”
We have a wee verse on our office wall that states, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you start where you are and change the ending.”
In life I am sure that there are many times that we have all wanted to alter an outcome. One outcome we are all responsible for of our own is our own knowledge base, Our, own understanding, and in a world where there is so much incorrect knowledge floating around it is good to have a solid foundation of knowledge that we can call upon to answer not just other’s questions but also our own.
In Rochelle and my discussions about this year and a way forward to it we have discussed the word of God, The Bible and swimming. Incidentally I like swimming and for a few days during the holidays I managed it once at my sisters, and twice a day while we were staying down at Queen Charolette Sound. However, this was only short swims as the bay I was swimming in had quite a few Sting Rays and Eagle Rays in it, and I’m a wee bit weary of Rays due to their poisonous spines. So, before I leapt in, I did a quick check and if Rochelle was there, she would do the same while I was in. Before we all went in, we all checked. We swam where there were no Rays close by, though we did watch a few close to the jetty. So, what does God’s word have to do with swimming?
We all of us have an understanding of the Bible, our own personal perception and grasp. It could be, that it’s that book that sits on the shelf with some pressed flowers or an inscription from that special time that someone gave it to you on a special occasion, maybe it's in old English that is quite a difficult read. However for some it might be the book that you read every day without fail, the book that you have read a number of times cover to cover and that you even took time to study in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, the book that you have a number of different translations and a paraphrase or two of. You may even have a library of books that relate to it. We all range in our understanding of scripture.
So you ask where does the Bible and swimming come into Rochelle and my thinking? You ask some great questions.
Well here’s another story; when we lived in Fiji we had the opportunity for two days to stay at The Warick Hotel on the Coral Coast, prices were competitive during the pandemic. At The Warick they have a lovely beach, while we were out walking Janaki lost a jandal off a jetty, jetties seem to be a bit of a thing today. And we watched it as it floated a few hundred metres before it returned to shore. The interesting thing is that we watched the jandal and the waves and focused on the path of the jandal, apart from the return of the jandal it was a bit ho-hum. However later in the afternoon we went swimming. Janaki at that stage was new to swimming and didn't really want to swim, but after a bit of discussion about what she might see, she still didn’t want to go swimming. So, after a bit more discussion and encouragement about what she might see, we put her a life jacket with a pair of goggles and a snorkel. After a quick lesson on how to use the goggles and snorkel, we tentatively swam out into the water and I swam alongside her, sort of towing her so we could both enjoy the sights. The Warick have put artificial reefs offshore and you can swim to them and look at the corals that has been planted on these frames and tropical fish, tiny little fish, minute little fish, blues, white, schools of fast florescent flashes, creams and oranges, schooling and hiding, just fascinating, Jaque Cousteau would have been impressed. After about half an hour of this I was exhausted, and we headed to the shore all the while I was trying to explain to my excited and disappointed daughter that I had to get to the beach or drown as I didn’t have a life jacket. Janaki now, she had seen underneath the waves certainly didn’t want to leave the water.
So you ask, what does this have to do with the word of God? Great question.
The thing is we can look at the surface of scripture just like we looked at the surface of the bay following the jandal and see nothing exciting except the ripple and a bit of light on the surface of the water, learn a few key verses or we can take a deep dive, get to know where the parrot fish are, find a pair of Nemo fish hiding in that anemone, see if there really is a sponge living in a pineapple, the younger people will understand that reference. Deep diving into scripture, we can be amazed by all the colour, maybe find a tasty thing or two to feast on, a few scary and possibly offensive things and see life that fascinates the visual senses, our spiritual intelligence, that stimulates the mind and builds great memories and new understandings, and like a coral reef be in awe of all scripture contains.
We know that God is an amazing creator, science tells us so much about the world we live in and the fascinating links between all living things, Scripture is a divine drama that points us in the direction of our understanding God and how he relates to us and asks that we have a right relationship with him. This year we aim to dive deep into scripture. To enrich our understanding of God through his word, this divine drama (Hold your Bible) we are part of into eternity, this collection of books is part of our, all people's whether they know it or not, life narrative. so knowing it intently and deeply, correctly will help our life journeys. While coral reefs are amazing the scripture tells us in;
Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Psalm 95:3-5: "For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land."
The whole idea of deep diving into scripture of searching the Bible is to engage our understanding of God, to expand our spiritual lives and from that place to grow in our relationships with God and those around us. The deeper we dive the more we understand. We can go from surface swimming, to snorkelling to scuba. The word of God we are told in Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” “This verse emphasizes the power of the word of God and its ability to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It is a reminder that the word of God is not just a collection of words on a page, but a living and active force that can transform our lives.” (Bible Gateway.)
Our understanding of scripture all sixty-six books should always be developing, the thirty-nine books the Torah, the prophets, the minor prophets, Solomon’s song and and his long lament, David’s songs, the little snippets of wisdom that are the proverbs, other wisdom teaching, the history and challenges to the Hebrew people in the Old Testament are part of God’s rescue plan for humanity. Our understanding of the Old enriches our understanding of the New Testament with the first four gospels that tell us of Jesus life, the Acts those things the apostles got up to due to their relationships with the Risen Saviour. The letters to the churches by various writers two of whom were siblings of Jesus, one who is a mystery and the final gospel from the Island of Patmos, written by the Apostle they couldn’t kill. There is also a missing letter, to the Church at Laodicea. Paul says this to the Church at Colossia. “And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.?“(Colossians 4:16 (NRSV)) Or is it missing? We can find out lots of new things.
Scripture is full of new beginnings, post the Fall Adam and Eve started a new life east of Eden; Abraham and Sarah got new names and the promise of land, offspring and blessings, Moses took a whole nation of people into the promised new land, Mary and Joseph had a surprise new baby beginning, that changed the world as we know it and when he grew up he gave new beginnings to the blind, deaf, crippled, diseased and even the dead.
I don’t know about you but I’m excited that this year we will take this deep dive, an opportunity to underline some God’s word, develop some study tools, gain a greater understanding of who Jesus is to us, even though we may already love Him. A greater understanding of how the Holy Spirit relates to us in our day to day lives as outlined in scripture. God desires that we understand him, that we have solid relationships with him and meaningful and loving relationships with one another. As Christians our sound knowledge of the Bible is a firm rock that God sets our feet upon. The best starting point is his word, the books of knowledge that were inspired by him. In The Salvation Army, our first doctrine states, that “We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by inspiration of God and as that they constitute the only divine rule of Christian faith and practice.”
So, diving deeper into the word of God do you have questions, I think we all have questions about scripture, things like why Jesus says on the cross, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me” The answer is in the Old Testament book of Psalms. Is it true that 3000 things forecast about Jesus in the Old Testament happened during his life? What about the timing of Jesus death and resurrection, and how did that connect to Old Testament feasts? Did you know that Jesus prayed for you and I?
We will also take a look at a Biblical timeline, the scholarship of translations and what are the closest English translations to the original languages, please when you come to meetings bring your Bible a pen and pad are also handy. I’m a bit excited about this year and where God will take us on this journey, so, and this is metaphorical because I don't want your turning up in these next week, let’s get our togs on and whatever swimming gear we have and prepare for a deep dive into God’s word in 2024.
Are you ready to draw a line in the sand on the beach beside your copy of the Bible and with the rest of us take that deep dive?
