February 27, 2026

I can still see the large hardback Bible under the living room coffee table. It was blue with a colorful picture of Jesus on the front of it. I can’t recall what he was doing but he had a big smile on his face. If I had to guess, I’d say this particular Bible was probably printed in the 1970’s. I don’t even recall if it was the full Bible or just excerpts but I can still see in my mind the images inside of the stories I had heard so many times. The walls of Jericho coming down, Daniel in the lion’s den, David and Goliath, and various parts of Jesus’s ministry. Over the years I have had memories of receiving various bibles at milestone points in my life. I’ve acquired study bibles, bibles for use at weddings and funerals, and bibles that I use for personal reading in various translations. The Bible is an important book.

I think, however, most of us grow up with a misunderstood view of the Bible.

· Some view it as a reference book where we look up what it says on different topics.

· Some of us see the Bible as a moral guidebook or a list of do’s and don’ts.

· Others turn to the Bible more casually for inspiration and comforting quotes.

· Still, some see it as God’s instructions for how we get to heaven when we die.

· Others approach the Bible as if were a study book to be understood and mastered.

You see, we all approach The Bible from a different vantage point. We all come with our pre-determined goals as to what we want to read, learn, experience, and get from it. The one point that we all come together on (no matter what the approach) is this: The Bible is difficult to understand.

Have you ever thought that maybe the Bible is supposed to be mysterious? Like, maybe one of the intentional qualities of the Bible is that we would have to search, study, talk about it with others and with God, and trust the mystery of it? Think about it like this:

The Bible is a collection of writings of differing genres, from different people, on different continents, in different times over a span of nearly 2,000 years. It was written by human beings in specific places and times. In some mysterious way, God partnered with these writers accepting the limitations of humanity. The Creator, the Holy One, God Almighty could have given us his love story to humanity through a variety of vehicles. But he chose to limit his heavenly language, his unsearchable will, his glorious plan of re-creation and salvation to the hands of the written word of people. God’s cosmic words captured via the limited minds, human language, and earthly contexts of mankind. That is mysterious and difficult to understand.

But that’s okay! In this season, I want to encourage you to set aside all your learned approaches to the Bible. Begin to access God’s Word through Scripture via a new lens. This takes practice. You may have to undo a lot of years of habits asking God to cleanse your heart of pre-conceived ideas and engrained assumptions.

Instead, what if you began to come to the Bible expecting not to master it but for it to master you? Where is it challenging your beliefs? How is it speaking to places you would rather it didn’t? Will you allow it to take on your pre-conceived ideas, your plans, your lifestyle, your religion? There is much more you and I are invited to do in study, conversation with others, contextual understanding, mediation, memorization, and prayer through the Word. We must engage these things, to be sure. However, we should begin (or begin anew) with a posture of humility. I’m encouraging us to embrace the mystery of the Bible. Let the Jesus we discover in those words form you and master you.

Begin with this as you come to Scripture each time: Jesus, what would you say to me today?

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With you,

Nathan

Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor

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