Author: Dave Dishman (Page 12 of 390)

Thomas Jefferson famously took a Bible and whittled it down. Using a razor, Jefferson sliced out miracles and references to the supernatural. He preferred a sanitized Jesus, focused more on moral principles than divine inspiration. Ironically, Jefferson failed to pay attention to even the scraps of Jesus left in his hands, fathering children by at least one slave and keeping numerous others in bondage.

People who twist the words of Jesus to meet their own ends never follow where the teachings of Jesus actually lead.

Jehoiakim, king of Judah, also took a razor to words from God. When presented with a scroll from Jeremiah the prophet, the king had it read by a secretary in his presence. Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them in the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, not did they tear their clothes.

Worse than destroying the scroll, Jehoiakim ignored the warning contained within. The king scorned the Lord and his prophet, even trying to arrest Jeremiah. Jehoiakim burned the scroll hoping to spoil the message. But slicing away the God-parts failed to remove God.

I’m left to wonder—what sections of Scripture do I slice away? What passages do I reject as culturally inappropriate? Which lines do I choose to forget? The Bible remains a formidable book. The hard parts push me beyond my zone of comfort. As I linger in its pages I learn of our amazing God, discovered better with a pen to underline than a penknife to cut out ideas I find disturbing.

Jeremiah 36 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Steven Weeks

Sometimes I have not because I ask not. Such is the case with wisdom. James encouraged his readers looking for more to go to the source:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

When I cannot see through the mists, I should appeal for help from the Lord. Who better to ask?

Then I must remain open to his mode of answering. Perhaps the Lord will send a lightning bolt to carve instructions into my driveway. More likely I’ll hear from a friend, or a catch a line in a sermon, or a Bible passage I’ve skimmed dozens of times in the past will suddenly shine.

God dispenses wisdom in myriads of ways. But to get some I gotta be humble enough to ask.

James 1 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Nathan Jeon

Maybe it’s the theologian in me, but I geek out when I run across a passage in the Bible that refers to the Holy Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Paul referenced the Trinity in a benediction to the Corinthian church:

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

A fully developed doctrine of the Trinity is not laid out in the New Testament, but multiple trinitarian formulas exist in the Scriptures. God is one is essence and three in persons. The Father begets, the Son is begotten, and the Holy Spirit proceeds.

Best of all for me and you are the gifts this triune God delivers to those who follow him. Paul prays for his hearers to experience grace from the Son, love from the Father, and companionship with the Holy Spirit.

One in three persons, blessed trinity. We truly serve an amazing God.

2 Corinthians 13 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Sharon Santema

Braised pork cheeks. Creamy mashed potatoes. Apple pie. Dark chocolate. Such foods deserve leisure, moments allowing flavors and textures to rest on the tongue. The opposite of fast food scarfed on the run.

The Scriptures satiate when consumed slowly, when allowed to soak in. Jeremiah wrote of his experience with God’s messages:

When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.

The Bible tells us of the amazing Lord God Almighty, his Son Jesus Christ, and our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. The words found within deserve time and appreciation, which yields delight and enjoyment. Slow-walking through the Good Book reveals flavors undiscovered in a rush. Pleasure is not too strong a word to describe the experience.

My soul begs for more than a drive-through fix. A vast banquet waits for me, if I’ll slow down and enjoy the spread.

Jeremiah 15 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Elena Leya