Philippians 1:3-11
Last night I had somewhat of an unplanned, albeit a needed break; somewhat. We usually have two bible studies back to back for our Youth and Young Adults between 7 and 10 pm. With the ending of the semester upon us, however, they decided their time would be better spent studying for finals and finishing projects and papers. Good decision on their part.
As a result I found myself with an extra hour or so to do other things and I used that time to read. It's honestly been a while since I read just because I wanted to. And with all the things I had in my office at work to read - magazines, books on teenage spirituality, news articles, and even our newly revised church by-laws - I chose to read my bible.
It was honestly nice to be able to read the bible without having to dissect it for any particular reason. As I read the beginning of the story of Jesus' life as told by Luke I found myself becoming enveloped by the words put on this paper. The most difficult part was pretending to not know the story as I read it; not easy.
As I read I began to see that from the beginning Luke is telling a story filled with contrasts between knowledge and action. As I read on, and as I tried harder to pretend I didn't know the story, I found myself realizing the love God showed through the life of Christ Jesus. As Paul put it, my love flourished in the "knowledge and full insight" of God's love.
I can say that in the hour or so I read, my relationship with God through Christ grew stronger, and with that growth came a certain peace I haven't felt in a long time. I was alone, I was at rest, and I was doing something for me. In the process I was able to sit with God and enjoy God's company.
That's what I call peace.
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