for those of you who feel like talking to God is like talking to a brick wall

I see a lot of readers of the bible getting frustrated when they feel like they're not "getting anything out of it." I myself have felt this a number of times as well. It's supremely frustrating to make the effort to sit down and open up scripture and then feel like all you're doing is reading words, almost as pointless as staring at a brick wall. Why can't the Bible be more like Wired or Manga or ESPN the Magazine or even Real Simple?! I've, at times, felt this way as well.

But one really really important thing to know is that, when it comes to why God would want us to read his Bible, the content of what we're going to read is second to the action itself. Or, to put it more specifically, the primary purpose of having us spend time in God's word is to spend time with God. 

My wife and I were recently able to spend some time with my parents, not an easy feat since they live over 2,000 miles away. And while we didn't really accomplish all that much (our one family excursion ended up being too risky/unappealing due to an incoming snowstorm and cold spell), the "success" of our trip was never going to be about what we'd be able to check off of our check list. The primary purpose was about being there with my parents, spending time with them, enjoying life together with them.

I mean, can you imagine what it would be like if your friend came over to your place and, within a few minutes of hanging out with you asked, "So...what am I supposed to be getting out of this?" That would make for a brief friendship, right? And yet this is how we approach our time with God and his word.   

So let me encourage you today: line up your primary purpose in reading God's word with God's. Know that you've already "accomplished" the most important thing - opening up his word, taking time to be with him. Yes, he's going to have incredible things to say to you through his word, but that's going to be the fruit of your time together, not the tree itself.

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Note: this Sunday we had some time for questions, and I mentioned that I'd have to do some more research in order to do justice for one of the questions (which was, essentially, why does Peter personally get labeled "Satan" by Jesus in Matthew 16?). I'll be posting that later in the week.

image from: http://www.brickhousebullies.com/brick_wall.jpg