When we read the Bible, the living Word of God, we should treat it as if we are literally hearing the audible voice of God. Like, God is RIGHT THERE speaking to us. Then we will be BEWILDERED and full of AWE by His voice and have JOY in His presence like how Psalm 16 puts it.

But honestly, really really honestly? That doesn't happen. Some of my friends want to treat the Bible as a narrative, reading it as if they are reading a fairy tale or a novel like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. This puts the Bible on equal footing as any quote you find on tumblr from a secular philosopher or celebrity, or the message/theme/story you relate to from your favorite TV show or movie (I do it too, I got quotes and illustrations from One Piece and Tower of God and Name of the Wind and LOTR right here on my blog). For example, I recently watched Death Parade/Death Billiards and I thought the message on what is a considered a rewarding and successful life lived and the values on human morality and how gets to be reincarnated and who gets dumped in the void were attractive, beautiful even.  But its not right. Those views on life were quite unbiblical, and so is a ton of tumblr quotes and messages in media right now. Those worldviews are not what a Christian, a follower and disciple of Christ should believe in, to put human wisdom on equal footing with God's wisdom. A lot of times, we unconsciously and unintentionally call Jesus a liar and God a fool when we agree with the world. I know I do it a lot. Sigh...

I tend to read the Bible as a scholar, because I am a researcher and it is my job to look for patterns and decipher meaning and truths and stuff like that, reading hundreds of papers and looking at tons of data and trying to find the secrets of the natural world in them. But I find that I go to the Bible and do use that strategy, and ask tons of questions, look for passages to answer, I end up come out with more questions and become more anxious. Take one of my devos for example (unaltered):

1 Samuel 16:23

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

This passage has a lot of connotations and even more ability to draw misconceptions (or correct ones).

So God sent an evil spirit. Why? Was this punishment for Saul? Why send David then to comfort Saul? Why did the passage not say Satan sent the evil spirit? Would Satan even want to send an evil spirit? How does music drive away the evil spirit? Is it because it comforted Saul (“he would feel better”) and then Saul’s spiritual immune system forced the evil spirit away? Or was music just a sign for God to send the evil spirit away? Or does music in itself have some spiritual power to send evil spirits away? Or was David himself performing an action (of music) that drove the evil spirit away? Or was David + music or David + music from a specific lyre that caused the evil spirit to go away? Or does David have the power of healing? What was the evil spirit even doing? Was it causing Saul to feel depressed, or make his soul heavy? Was it actually inflicting physical illness to Saul? Was Saul’s spiritual state weakened so that the evil spirit could have an effect?

Ya. I am confused. (Sure I did look up many commentaries and context, but there are too many differing and contradicting views depending on how you theologically lean).

I read one passage, and it makes more sense from an Armenian perspective. I read another and it only makes sense if I was a Calvinist. I know I’m supposed to find peace and comfort when I read scripture, but that rarely ever happens. Nope nope nope, to quote Ducky. I read a passage, and I’m like “no one in the church does that, so basically it is impossible.” Another passage, “that is bulls***.” Yet another passage, “I’m gonna ignore that because it is contradicting how I am currently living.”

But there was one time last November, that I was so spurned by the Holy Spirit to read scripture that I read for like 6 hours straight and felt super peaceful after I did. If I've ever felt true God given peace, it was that night. So I know it can happen. I wish it happened in my life more, and I try to find it. Try to force it. Try to work for it. But we know that if we have to use the word “try,” then it is basically out of our own flesh, and it ain’t gonna work. That’s why someone can pray for 5 hours straight and feel nothing from God, but the next day they pray for only 30 seconds and BAM God is right there revealing His will and reminding that person “I’m here and I’m faithful to you and you are going to be alright.” I doesn’t matter how hard you try. It matters about your heart. And your heart is given by God when He wants to give you the heart. There is nothing you can do, but by His mercy and grace we know it’s there or it’s coming. That’s the promise of the Gospel.

So I know I should be in awe of God when I read scripture, but in reality that happens 1 out of 1 million times. But because I have experienced that 1 time, I have Hope, the Hope that leads to Faith (Hebrews 11). I also want to encourage others to read the Bible as if you are sitting at the seat of God and your heavenly Father is speaking to you. Because the Bible is the story of God, unparalleled to any other story.