Reading God’s Word With Holy Curiosity
KAT ARMSTRONG
Lee en español
“Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” Psalm 119:18 (CSB)
My 9-year-old son, Caleb, loves collecting baseball cards. One day he picked up the hobby, and several binders-full later, Caleb can talk your ear off about everything he’s learning related to card trading.
He regularly looks up from his sorting process to flash a smile and mutter something like “I love this” or “This is awesome!” I never had to persuade Caleb or motivate him to learn more about baseball cards — because his curiosity was piqued.
If we’re honest, all of us want our Bible reading to be as interesting to us as baseball cards are to Caleb.
Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could go to the Scriptures and become so preoccupied with God's Truth, so absorbed in the stories, totally engrossed in every detail, that we hang on every word? What if our Bible reading were never dull, never boring, ever again? What if we came to the Scriptures and agreed with the psalmist that the Word is “wondrous” (Psalm 119:18)?
What I’ve noticed is that we usually gravitate toward one of three ways of reading the Bible. We either read the Scriptures inquisitively, inspirationally or imaginatively. And what we really need is to read with all three of those perspectives. That’s one of the reasons studying the Bible in a small group can be so powerful — we get to share our perspectives and enthusiasm as we read together.
We’ve got to ask ourselves, What kind of Bible reader am I? From which vantage point do I approach the Bible? Once we know our starting place, we can move in a new direction.
Inquisitive Bible readers love to study the Bible and research all the details. What strikes you about the Bible is its ability to instruct and train everyone for godly living. (Psalm 19:7) But if we look to God’s Word to be an instruction manual only, we’ll miss out on the beauty and wonder of God’s stories. The Bible’s purpose is not only to answer our questions and change our minds; it’s supposed to change our lives too.
Inspirational Bible readers love the Scriptures and how true they are to life. What strikes you is how the words of the Bible meet you where you are right this minute and lift your spirits. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) But if we’re only opening our Bibles to get a word of encouragement, we might miss out on the theological truths of the Word. The Bible’s purpose is not only to lift us up; it’s supposed to ground us in our faith too.
Imaginative Bible readers see Bible stories come alive while they daydream. And if someone could project what’s playing in these readers' heads, they might get a feature film of a Bible storyline. But if we’re only imagining the events in the Bible, we might miss out on the straightforward message of the text.
In our key verse, the psalmist petitions God to spark holy curiosity and to hold his attention so he can truly savor God’s Word: “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction” (Psalm 119:18). I want the same thing, and I bet you do too.
I want to be swept up in God’s artistic brilliance.
I want to cherish convicting theological Truth.
And I want to experience God’s Word to my core.
Here’s the good news: God loves to show us Truth. Sometimes He does it through an intense season when we question what the Bible means. Sometimes He does it through our heartfelt meditation on the verses that keep us going. And other times, He does it by letting our imaginations run wild. All three of those ways of coming to the Scriptures are valuable: inquisitive, inspirational and imaginative.
When I asked Caleb what excites him most about collecting baseball cards, he said “endless possibilities.”
I want to be headed to glory still curious about something I’ve noticed in the Bible with that same eagerness — don’t you?
Lord, spark holy curiosity in all of us. We want to love and delight in our Bible-reading time. Pique our interest; grab our attention and hold it. Give us a passion to study Your Truth, and open our eyes to contemplate wondrous things from Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
If you want to cultivate more holy curiosity, or if your Bible reading has become dull, change things up and start a new study that will equip you to read the Bible inquisitively, inspirationally and imaginatively. You’ll love Kat Armstrong’s new Storyline Bible Studies Series. While you are marveling at the artistry of God’s storytelling, you’ll also be putting your faith back together and shifting your perspective.
ENGAGE
Take Kat’s 12-question Bible-reader assessment for free to receive super practical recommendations to revolutionize your future Bible reading so you can enjoy reading God's Word.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Mountains from the Storyline Bible Studies Series by Kat Armstrong. To celebrate this book, Kat’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, January 30, 2023.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 119:89, “LORD, your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven.” (CSB)
Psalm 119:92-93, “If your instruction had not been my delight, I would have died in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for you have given me life through them.” (CSB)
Think back to the last time you lost track of time in your Bible reading. What piqued your curiosity?
© 2023 by Kat Armstrong. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Monday, 23 January 2023.
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