Feasting on His word
I've recently been thinking about what the Bible means to me and what it might mean to others.
Psalm 23:5 says, 'You prepare a table before me' and Psalm 36:8 reminds us that, 'They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.'
Recently, my house group was tasked with putting together a guide to help new Christians connect with God's word. This led to much discussion as we tried to decide which would be the most important things we would want to tell others about the Bible. Some people would be coming to the Bible with no prior knowledge at all, others from different faiths who might have a great deal of knowledge but have had their whole viewpoint turned upside down. Even within our group, although we agreed on key truths we wanted to communicate, there were particular themes or stories which spoke strongly to each of us in quite unique ways, based on our needs and experiences. The more we tried to unravel the different aspects of the Bible, the more we were blown away all over again at just how amazing His word is. Where to start?
One big step we took was to look at key questions: Who wrote the Bible? What is the Bible? Why should we read it? How should we read it? It wasn't too difficult to think about what we wanted people to know at this stage; there are some obvious things like knowing it's a collection of books, understanding there's an Old and a New Testament and not feeling like it has to be read in order from Genesis to Revelation. It was at this point that somebody said it was like a smorgasbord! Although we laughed, we realised this is true: the Bible is like a great feast: there are different elements, or courses, which we all need to experience, but within each course there is such a range! Whenever I look at creation I am struck by God's generous provision: suddenly, I could see this in His word. Take for example, a truth such as knowing we are saved. That's a fundamental truth for all of us. But for some people, this allays a fear of death, for others it creates a freedom to be themselves, free from trying to earn eternal life, for somebody else it gives them a sense of value they hadn't felt before. Inspired to go back to verses which have impacted me in the past, I took another look at Jeremiah 30:17 'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no-one cares.' This has always spoken to me about acceptance and belonging. However, looking at it afresh, I could see that this would be significant in a different way for a friend of mine with health issues.
The important thing is, the same God who made us, made His word. He provided it for everyone, knowing at the same time how it would be used to shape laws, governments and countries, yet caring enough that there's that specific story or verse just right for when I'm making a difficult decision at work, or a friend's child is starting a new school.
Have you ever been to a particularly fancy hotel? When I think about the Bible as a feast, I can see the head chef lovingly spreading out his buffet, making sure it's got a bit of everything it should. Yet at the same time, He's looking at each person as they come up in the queue, smiling as he straightens the dish they need, turns something to the front so they can see it better.
What about our own writing? We don't know our readers like God knows His. Nevertheless, if we trust His anointing and write for Him, we can trust that He will help us create work which delivers something significant. I would have said that faith and forgiveness are key themes in my novel, but I'm beginning to see other topics, like resilience and trust, that might also mean something to my readers.
I hope our house group are able to help those new to God's word. But I also want to continue to delve deeper into the Bible myself, walking with the Holy Spirit and engaging with the words I need to know. I don't know exactly what I will find, but I know it will be the very best for me, and for those I share it with.
Rebecca Seaton mostly writes fantasy but would love to write a crime novel one day if she could just pin down a coherent plot. She manages a behaviour recovery provision for primary children and is on the advisory panel for Pen to Print, a Barking and Dagenham-based initiative for supporting new writers.
Psalm 23:5 says, 'You prepare a table before me' and Psalm 36:8 reminds us that, 'They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.'
Recently, my house group was tasked with putting together a guide to help new Christians connect with God's word. This led to much discussion as we tried to decide which would be the most important things we would want to tell others about the Bible. Some people would be coming to the Bible with no prior knowledge at all, others from different faiths who might have a great deal of knowledge but have had their whole viewpoint turned upside down. Even within our group, although we agreed on key truths we wanted to communicate, there were particular themes or stories which spoke strongly to each of us in quite unique ways, based on our needs and experiences. The more we tried to unravel the different aspects of the Bible, the more we were blown away all over again at just how amazing His word is. Where to start?
One big step we took was to look at key questions: Who wrote the Bible? What is the Bible? Why should we read it? How should we read it? It wasn't too difficult to think about what we wanted people to know at this stage; there are some obvious things like knowing it's a collection of books, understanding there's an Old and a New Testament and not feeling like it has to be read in order from Genesis to Revelation. It was at this point that somebody said it was like a smorgasbord! Although we laughed, we realised this is true: the Bible is like a great feast: there are different elements, or courses, which we all need to experience, but within each course there is such a range! Whenever I look at creation I am struck by God's generous provision: suddenly, I could see this in His word. Take for example, a truth such as knowing we are saved. That's a fundamental truth for all of us. But for some people, this allays a fear of death, for others it creates a freedom to be themselves, free from trying to earn eternal life, for somebody else it gives them a sense of value they hadn't felt before. Inspired to go back to verses which have impacted me in the past, I took another look at Jeremiah 30:17 'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no-one cares.' This has always spoken to me about acceptance and belonging. However, looking at it afresh, I could see that this would be significant in a different way for a friend of mine with health issues.
The important thing is, the same God who made us, made His word. He provided it for everyone, knowing at the same time how it would be used to shape laws, governments and countries, yet caring enough that there's that specific story or verse just right for when I'm making a difficult decision at work, or a friend's child is starting a new school.
Have you ever been to a particularly fancy hotel? When I think about the Bible as a feast, I can see the head chef lovingly spreading out his buffet, making sure it's got a bit of everything it should. Yet at the same time, He's looking at each person as they come up in the queue, smiling as he straightens the dish they need, turns something to the front so they can see it better.
What about our own writing? We don't know our readers like God knows His. Nevertheless, if we trust His anointing and write for Him, we can trust that He will help us create work which delivers something significant. I would have said that faith and forgiveness are key themes in my novel, but I'm beginning to see other topics, like resilience and trust, that might also mean something to my readers.
I hope our house group are able to help those new to God's word. But I also want to continue to delve deeper into the Bible myself, walking with the Holy Spirit and engaging with the words I need to know. I don't know exactly what I will find, but I know it will be the very best for me, and for those I share it with.
Rebecca Seaton mostly writes fantasy but would love to write a crime novel one day if she could just pin down a coherent plot. She manages a behaviour recovery provision for primary children and is on the advisory panel for Pen to Print, a Barking and Dagenham-based initiative for supporting new writers.
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