Different Ways.

Remember the commercials that proclaimed, "There's no wrong way to eat a Reese's." The commercials had people eating the candies whole, from the inside out, from the outside in, and even by sucking the peanut butter out. The point of the commercial was not about the product, it was about how people consumed the product.

Similary, I have a friend who has a great affinity for caramel filled chocolate squares. When I eat these chocolates I simply put them in my mouth and swallow. My friend on the other hand, eats them quite differently. She opens the wrapper like there is a treasure inside, not wanting to waste any chocolate, her fingers deftly manuever the wrapper so that her hands will not touch the morsel, her mouth covers the square and when it is removed the top is gone. She then licks the caramel from the center, savoring the taste until it melts away. The delight is not just in her mouth, the reaction is evident from her lips and eyes.

Both of these instances tell us something about how we read the Bible. Some people feel that there is no wrong way to read the Bible. The problem is that many of us read it with the intent to just consume words like I consume chocolate squares. We read the words with our preconcieved ideas and no regard for the richness of the whole text, acknowledging the love story of Redemptive history, or understanding the context in which the words were scribed.

Instead, we need to handle the Bible like my friend handles her chocolates; with awe and wonder, savoring every morsel and suckling at the sweet honey that is the Word. We cannot live our lives merely consuming The Bible, we must live it. In order to live it, we must understand or savor it. Rick Warren said something like, "The Bible left unapplied is abortion." It is strong language that is rooted in the reality of James 2:26.