Kristi Stephens, Author at Do Not Depart

The Overflow of the Heart

September 1, 2011 by Kristi Stephens 8 Comments

I like to color-code when I study Scripture. Depending on what book I am studying, I pick a color scheme to make repeated topics and patterns stand out to me more vividly. A few years ago I was working my way through Proverbs, innocently highlighting, when some of the verses began to make their way off of the page and burn into my heart. {Amazing how God speaks to us when we dig into His Word!}

Page after page was brimming with that tell-tale pink highlighting.

The Proverbs have a lot to say about our speech.

The volume of our speech:

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. – Proverbs 10:19

The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. – Proverbs 15:28

The results of our speech:

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. – Proverbs 12:18

A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

The destructiveness of gossip:

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
   they go down in the inner parts of the body. – Proverbs 18:8

Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets;
   therefore do not associate with a simple babbler. – Proverbs 20:19

As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
   so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. – Proverbs 26:21

As I read through the admonitions about our speech contained in the book of Proverbs, I hear the words of James in my heart:

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. – James 3:5b-6

Serious. Sobering. As a person who finds myself ensnared by my words more frequently than any other aspect of my life, these verses sting and cut. Sometimes I even begin to despair – nothing reveals my fallen humanity like my speech. Like the prophet of Isaiah long ago, my heart cries – “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV)

What is a girl to do? As much as I read what the Proverbs have to say about my speech, why does my tongue trip me up time and time again?

Jesus gives a sobering answer to my question in Luke 6:45: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Proverbs, an intensely practical book, describes for us the practical outcomes of our speech. But to control our speech takes more than just knowing what we shouldn’t do. I cannot will myself to be wise and holy. Only Christ can transform me from the inside out – and only being transformed from inside out can transform my speech. If I want the overflow of my heart to be uplifting, encouraging, and healing, my heart must be transformed in His presence.

As you dig into the book of Proverbs on your own, I highly recommend that you pull out your favorite Bible highlighters or colored pencils (I prefer crayola twist-up crayons!) and mark up those pages with the repeated themes that show up time and time again. And if you’re like me, those “speech and tongue” verses will jump right off the page and smack you in the face. But, friends, they are not a call to “try harder” or “bite your tongue.” They are like a mirror to us, revealing the sin lurking in our hearts when we are tempted to be enamored by our own self-righteousness. They call to us to humble ourselves before the throne room of God, asking Him to purify us from the inside out.

Sinful speech is a symptom of sin-sickness in our hearts – a sickness only God can cure.

Lord, I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing!

August 23, 2011 by Kristi Stephens 5 Comments

God often teaches us powerful lessons when He places us in situations where we become painfully aware of our limitations.

I vividly remember sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery in the wee hours of the morning, a first-time mom holding my fussy newborn baby. I was tired, emotional, frazzled. We had trouble with feedings, struggled getting her to sleep. Although I had read everything I could get my hands on as I waited for AG’s arrival, nothing had fully prepared me for the utter sacrifice of motherhood.

It was in that place that God taught me the prayer that has been the theme of my parenting years, and I expect it to be my theme for the rest of my life – “You said that if we lack wisdom we should ask and you would give it – Lord, please give me wisdom, because I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing!” He did. He does. When we ask, He gives it.

King Solomon came to a dramatic point of realizing his inadequacies and His desperate need for God’s gift of wisdom. God appeared to him and told him to ask for whatever he desired. What would you ask for if God appeared to you and offered to give you anything you desired? Anything?

Solomon’s reply is profound.

“Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)

Solomon understood the weight of the responsibility God had given to him. He had watched his father rule wisely, even if not perfectly. His father David had modeled for him the fact that the throne was not really his – it was God’s. The people did not belong to him for his benefit – they were God’s beloved ones. The job was huge, the ramifications eternal.

And so, knowing his own limitations and standing in awe of His sovereign God, Solomon makes his humble plea – “I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.” The Lord was pleased with the nature of Solomon’s request, and He granted him all that he needed and much more.

God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the men of the East, and greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than any other man …and his fame spread to all the surrounding nations. He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered a thousand and five… Men of all nations came to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world, who had heard of his wisdom.

1 Kings 4:29-34 (NIV)

Have you come to a place of realizing your inadequacies? Whether as mothers, teachers, ministry leaders, or whatever roles God has placed us in during this season of life, we desperately need His wisdom. We must humble ourselves before Him and recognize that on our own, we are unable to carry out what He has called us to do. We must come to Him as little children, asking Him to give us wise hearts and instructed tongues to serve Him well.

If any of you lacks wisdom,let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5 (ESV)

He does. When we ask, He gives it.

Intercession: Pleading for Undeserved Mercy

August 25, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 9 Comments

We serve a holy God.

In our day, so far removed from bloody sacrifices and curtains and priests, we sometimes overlook the true weight of our sin and its consequences. Our God is holy, holy, holy – and we are oh, so very sinful. God, in His incomprehensible grace, has offered us spiritual restoration through Jesus Christ – but sin still has consequences.

I am often burdened by the glib way we approach our holy God in prayer. We have been taught that we can have intimacy, access, friendship with God – and these things are true. However, our God is still holy, and sin is serious.

In Nehemiah chapter one, we find Nehemiah responding to terrible news about the state of God’s people and God’s city {a situation which was a direct result of God’s punishment for their continued rebellion} in a beautiful prayer. We are in very different circumstances than Nehemiah – a different land, a different people, a different covenant… but we have the same God, and sin is still ever-present! There is much we can learn from Nehemiah about godly intercession.

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Then I said:
“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. (v. 4-7)

Before approaching God on behalf of his people, Nehemiah mourns, fasts, humbles himself – for days! This man has a tremendous sense of the holy and awesome nature of the God he approaches. There is no “name it and claim it” attitude here. Nehemiah is preparing to plead for God’s mercy, and he understands something that we seem to too often miss: mercy, by definition, is undeserved. Mercy is not something we can “claim;” it is something we can only humbly ask for from the ashes of true sorrow over sin.

And so, Nehemiah humbles himself. He mourns over sin – his own sin (no self-righteous attitudes here!), the sin of his family, the sin of his people. He confesses these things before God in humility and doesn’t mince words; they have acted “wickedly.”

I have shared on my personal blog in the past that I find it very difficult to join in boisterously singing “God bless America.” It seems to me that American Christians sometimes display a sense of entitlement to the blessings of God… as though we have earned it. My friends, we have not earned blessings, and we do not deserve mercy. Before approaching God with open hands glibly asking Him to bless us, we must consider seriously how to mourn over sin, humbly pray, and confess our own sins and those of our countrymen.

Remember, mercy is not something we can claim.

As we intercede on behalf of our children, our churches, our country, and our world, we would be wise to remember Nehemiah’s model of true humility and personal repentance.

We need to dig into the Word and seek to develop a proper perspective of our God.
We need to take sin seriously. We need to mourn over it, repent from it, and cling to what is right and good in God’s sight.
We need to approach our holy God with sober respect, rather than glib and demanding attitudes.
We must remember: mercy isn’t deserved, it isn’t earned.

As we read on through Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter one, we do find him praying God’s promises back to Him and recalling God’s faithfulness. We find him asking for favor and seeking to act on behalf of his people, pleading for God’s favor and blessing as he went forward. It is often these “later” steps of intercession that we think of – but true intercession begins in a broken heart of humility.

Who or what are you bringing to God’s throne today? What would it look like to do so with a humble spirit like Nehemiah’s?

Confidence: Finding Rest in the Sovereignty of God

August 24, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 11 Comments

: Image via Wikipedia

I frequently talk with other believers who seem to be struggling with a deep fear of the future. Their confidence in the government has been rocked, the security of their 401K has been shaken, they watch the news fretfully for updates about the latest Supreme Court decision or word from Iran.

Are these things serious? Of course- but they need not shake our confidence. If we truly believe that our God is sovereign, that absolutely nothing has escaped His notice or is out of His control, then there is a deep sense of calm in our hearts even as we write letters to our senators, seek financial counsel, cast our ballots, and urge those around us to know and obey the Truth.

In 1 Samuel chapter 2, we find Hannah praying a prayer we would do well to emulate.

Recount and Rejoice!

Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (v.1-2)

There is no Rock like our God! Oh, the hope and promise of those words. One of the best ways to battle fear and worry is to praise Him – to recount truths about His character, His ways, His promises. Have you noticed how many times throughout the Bible God’s faithfulness to His people is recounted in prayer and public praise? If you find yourself fretting over the news or the “what ifs” in your head, you must make a choice to replace those thoughts with truth. Rehearse truths of God’s character and ways to yourself, fill your mind and mouth with Scripture and praise – choose to rejoice in who our God truly is.

Remind Yourself of His Omniscience

“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.” (v. 3)

As I shared last week in our discussion about praying for our churches, I find great comfort in two simple words: “He knows!” He knows your heart, He knows your thoughts, He knows what is around the corner of your life. While we might find ourselves shocked and taken aback by current events, nothing ever comes as a surprise to Him – for the LORD is a God who knows.

Not only does He know, but He is the only one able and worthy to weigh our deeds and the deeds of others. He knows the motivation behind each act, each word; He knows every thought. I find myself often praying, “O Lord, you know!” What a comfort it is that His ways are higher than mine, His understanding is deeper, His thoughts are purer- it gives me great confidence as I offer my trust and the words, “Thy will be done.”

Remember He is the One Who Raises Up and Puts Down

“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.

Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry hunger no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.

The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; upon them he has set the world.” (v. 4-8)

No one is alive who has not been created by the hand of our God. Both wealth and poverty are in His hands. No world ruler sits in his office by his own power and doing – we serve a God who raises up and who puts down.

Do I understand everything He does and allows? Absolutely not! But I trust that His plans are much grander than I can comprehend. I can pray for God’s direction for those in authority over me – be that my husband, my church leadership, my government, my employer – and I can pray with confidence, knowing that there is no one who is out of the sphere of God’s control.

Rest in His Ultimate Victory

“He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.

It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (v. 9-10)

When everything seems to be spinning out of control, we rest in this: we know the end of the story, and our God wins! One day there will be full and final justice. One day every knee will bow to Him. One day Satan and all those who rebel against God’s name will be completely defeated.

Feeling fearful today? Perhaps it is time to prayerfully recount and rejoice, remind yourself, remember, and rest. Our God is firmly on His throne – and He has invited you to approach that throne with confidence.

Supplemental Reading:

The God Who Raises Up and Puts Down – a look at how Hannah’s prayer ties the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel together

Fear God, Honor the King – a gentle challenge to my fellow believers who disagree with Obama’s administration: when belief in God’s sovereignty gets real

Worthy is the Lamb – an ongoing series on the book of Revelation to fix our eyes on the end of the story!

Praying for our churches

August 19, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 18 Comments

The local church is near to the heart of God. Throughout the New Testament Scriptures, we find God working in and through small assemblies of believers. We find Paul laboring to start and establish them, writing to them, praying over them. The book of Revelation begins with chapters of short letters to specific local churches full of praise and reproof from the One who sees their inner workings.

Life in the local church should be near to our hearts, as well. (We’ll be spending the month of October addressing this topic here at Scripture Dig, by the way!) But life in the local church is rarely easy- while God may look at us with eyes of grace and see us as saints, we still can act very un-saintly. Life in the church can be fraught with wounds, strange inter-personal politics, misunderstandings, frustration, lack of direction, overburdened workers, and sin in all its lovely forms.

So, what’s a believer to do?

Often what I want to do is talk. I want to make my opinions known. I want to explain my side of the story and my theory on the best way to approach a ministry. I want to get more information (which is usually something I don’t really need!) Obviously there are times to speak up – there are situations that need to be wisely and carefully dealt with, sin that needs to be lovingly and directly confronted, lines of communication that need to be opened, appropriate times to share counsel.

“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

But you see, those are the hard conversations I don’t like to have. Other kinds of talking, the sinful and destructive kind, come far too easily.

“When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19

Satan wants to tear apart our churches. He wants believers to be divided and distracted. He wants us to turn on one another. Spiritual warfare is oh-so-real and present even within the whispered conversations happening in the halls of your church building.

“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” Proverbs 18:8

One major thing, the most important thing, we can do to combat it is to stop talking to others and start pouring out our hearts to God.

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23

You see, dear one, He knows. He knows how you have been wounded in your church (and we all have.) He knows the major needs that must be addressed. He knows what happens behind the closed doors of offices and meetings. He knows. You can talk all you want to Him. You can pour out every thought, every burden on your heart.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6

What your church needs from you more than anything else is your prayers.

“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use — men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer.” -E.M. Bounds

If you’ve been following the prayer series here on Scripture dig, hopefully you’ve found some useful “how-to” tips for organizing your prayer life. Perhaps you were drawn to Teri Lynne’s prayer calendaring, Julie’s graphic organizers and prayer notebook, or Sandra’s prayer cards. Whatever method you use, I want to challenge you to consider how to turn all those words you speak about your church into prayers for your church.

What should you pray? In addition for praying for specific needs and situations in your church, as well as for your pastors, leaders, and their families, I definitely echo Teri Lynne’s encouragement to pray Scripture. For example, I went on BibleGateway.com and searched for the word “pray” in Paul’s epistles – read through these passages and find some great patterns for your own prayer life for your church! Recently I compiled a list of 23 ways to pray for your church from the letters to the churches in Revelation. Teri Lynne also has a free ebook with a 30 day challenge to pray for your church with passages from the book of Acts.

Life in the church is challenging. It is sanctifying. It reveals to us our sin, our selfishness, our pride – and because it does this for all of us, it can be painful. More than your offerings, more than your hours of service, your church needs your prayers. Bring your burdens to the throne today – and rest in the truth that Christ is the Lord of His church.

Real-life digging with Kristi

July 14, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 9 Comments

Ok, friends – let me be completely real with you today. I read Kathy’s quiet time post and thought, “oh, I want that!” But… let me tell you what it really looks like for me! :)

I have a four year old, a two year old, and I am pregnant with our 3rd – I needed Julie’s encouraging “how do I fit it in?” posts as much as anyone! When I can get up before my family, that is when I have been the most consistent with having a real routine for my time with the Lord – this pregnancy [and a bent toward being a night-owl] has thrown me out of whack and I’m still reestablishing that morning routine. If I don’t have my time in the morning I make sure I have time during my kids’ nap and rest time. My two year old still takes a two hour nap, and I have made having a long “rest time” of quiet play in her room a normal part of my 4 year old’s life – both because she needs the time by herself and mom needs some time to decompress!

A sidebar of encouragement to my fellow young moms – let your kids know that your time with the Lord is a priority. It’s ok to tell them that they need to stay in their rooms for quiet play while you have time in the Word! Once when my daughter was not yet three years old I was joking with her over lunch that I was tired and should take a nap while she did. She got so animated and said, “NO! That’s your special time with God!” It is a normal thing to see my Bible and study materials laying around or for her to come downstairs and find me studying. My dad used to have his quiet time during breakfast while we were all busily getting ready for school and work – those times seeing him bent over the Word and finding his prayer list around the house left an impression on my heart and taught me that this was a priority, even in times of busyness!

Just as the time of day differs, how I fill this time differs, as well. My ideal is to start in quiet prayer – I need time to sit in His presence, to come to Him in my weariness and bask in the rest He alone can provide! [My most common prayer as a parent seems to be, “Lord, you said that if anyone lacks wisdom you would give it – I have no idea what I’m doing and I certainly need your wisdom!!”] Right now I am participating in the Bible in 90 Days challenge, so the rest of my time is mostly reading. Other times I dive right into study. I am a studier by nature and I love to dig into the Scriptures.

I am trying to establish routines to make the Scriptures and prayer part of our daily routine as a family. [Ann Voskamp‘s example constantly challenges and encourages me in this!] Lately I have been pulling out our chronological daily Bible during lunch and sharing portions of each day’s reading with my kids. We have had wonderful discussions about sections of Isaiah, Chronicles, and other books that I wouldn’t normally think to read with my preschoolers! It is also a great time to refocus in the middle of the day when I am starting to lose both my mind and my patience. :)

The best way I have found for me to memorize is to write verses on index cards and keep them with me during the day. I have fabric and a pattern waiting for me in the basement to make an apron with pockets – I want to keep verse memory cards as well as cards with prayer lists on them in my pockets during the day so I can pull them out when I find myself alone for a few minutes!

On a practical note, I have found that when we are too busy, my quiet time suffers. Time in the Word gets squeezed when we have had “too much fun” away from home and I am struggling to keep up with my other responsibilities. The more we are at home, the more we have a consistent daily routine, the more time I have to intentionally disciple my children, listen to the Lord, and open the Word.

In my ideal world, I would consistently have an hour or two of focused time with the Lord each day. Perhaps someday I will. Until then, God is teaching me to come to Him in my weariness, to offer Him whatever time I have, to make Him part of my daily life. Honestly, I am not always a good student – I get distracted, my priorities get out of line, I fall asleep when I finally sit down with the Word! But He is patiently teaching me, and I am finding that this time of my life is a great sanctifier as I learn to recognize my selfishness and how often I place my wants over what I really need – time with the Savior.

Every day is a new time to consider – do I truly believe that one day in the courts of my God is better than thousands elsewhere? If so, I will find time in my day to sit in His presence and open His Word.

Putting the pieces in order

June 16, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 25 Comments

One thing that often confuses people when they begin to read through the Bible is that it isn’t in chronological order! The Bible is arranged somewhat in “chunks” – sometimes the ‘chunks’ are chronological within themselves, and sometimes they’re not! [Stephanie did a great job charting out the general “genre” divisions of the Bible for us on Monday, so you might want to peek back at that post for reference.]

The first main division of the Bible is often called the “Pentateuch” – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These 5 books form the foundation for the rest of Scripture, and they were all written by Moses. The narrative of these five books does occur in chronological order – although Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are composed primarily of law.

This Pentateuch Timeline gives you the dates, chapters, and general sequence of events.

The next “chunk” also continues in chronological order. The Israelites enter the promised land under the leadership of Joshua and the tribes begin to settle into their allotted lands. For many years they have no human king (Israel should have been a theocracy under the Kingship of God Himself and guided by godly priests). They did not remain faithful to God and began to be oppressed by their enemies, a consequence God warned them would come if they disobeyed. After being oppressed the people would cry out to God and He would provide a “judge” or deliverer, and then the cycle would repeat. Sadly, throughout the time of the Judges (which is also the time period of the book of Ruth) Israel fell further and further away from God and became largely ignorant of the law.

Eventually the people demanded a king – the prophet Samuel first anointed Saul, who was later rejected by God for his faithless disobedience. David was then anointed and his son Solomon followed him. Unfortunately Solomon’s son Rehoboam foolishly oppressed the people and ended up causing the nation to split into two – the Northern Kingdom, known as Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, known as Judah.

This is when the timeline of the Bible gets very, very confusing! David and Solomon both wrote extensively, and their writings compose the majority of the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. (These books are often known as the “wisdom books.”) The books of 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles all record the history of the kings of both Israel and Judah. Also during this time period, God was sending prophets to both Israel and to Judah to call them to repentance and warn them of the judgment and exile they would face if they continued to disobey. Eventually both kingdoms were conquered and carried into exile, and God sent additional prophets to His people in captivity to remind them of the law, of the reasons for their exile, and that He was still in control. These books of history, prophecy, and wisdom literature are all contained in different “chunks” of the Old Testament, but they all overlap chronologically. This timeline lays out the history and time periods well.

About 400 years after Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament, had written God’s message to the people God Himself entered the story. Jesus of Nazareth, born in Bethlehem as foretold by the prophets, turned the nation upside down with His message – the narrative accounts of Jesus’ life are contained in “The Gospels” – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books cover the same time period from slightly different vantage points. After Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples continued to spread the good news of Jesus’ identity as the long-awaited Messiah – the book of Acts records the spread of the Gospel and the forming of local churches.

After these churches began to be established throughout the Roman empire, they needed more teaching – much of the teaching given to them is recorded for us in the “epistles” – letters written to individual churches. The epistles are not organized chronologically, either – the letters written by Paul (the “Pauline epistles”) are included first, arranged from longest (1 Corinthians) to shortest (Philemon). Next come the “general epistles” – letters written by anyone other than Paul! These are also arranged from longest (Hebrews) to shortest (Jude).

Revelation is obviously in it’s correct chronological sequence, as it records the end of the story!

Keeping the overall timeline of the Bible in mind is very helpful to me as I read and study, and I hope it will be for you, also! If you’d like to read the Bible in chronological sequence, a chronological Bible can come in very handy – I enjoy reading the Gospels in chronological sequence, and it adds further depth of meaning to read individual Psalms placed at the correct time in the narrative when most scholars believe they were written. Kathy Howard also has a great free resource on her website – it’s a daily Bible reading plan that guides you through different passages to put the Biblical story in chronological order.

Dig in, friends – what a story we are privileged to explore!

How to judge a book by its cover

June 10, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 49 Comments

Aka: What’s the deal with all of these different Bibles?

If you wander into a Christian bookstore or browse online looking for a Bible, it can be confusing as you are inundated by a storm of different Bibles. NIV, KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, NLT… what?

First things first: it is important to understand that the Bible was not originally written in English! The majority of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the most of the New Testament was written in Greek. There are a variety of translations from the original languages into English available on the market today – because they are all translations, none of them are exact. The translators have done their best to give us the most accurate English versions possible, but because there is not always an exact equivalent between the ancient languages and our modern English, and because their methods and purposes vary, the translations will differ from one another.

Used with permission from Brent MacDonald, http://www.notjustanotherbook.com

Some versions focus on providing the most accurate word-for-word translation from the original languages to English. These translations are highly respected and very accurate, but can be choppy or more confusing to read. Commonly used “word for word” translations include NASB (New American Standard Bible), KJV (King James Version), and NKJV (New King James Version). These versions are reliable and excellent choices for serious Bible study.

Other translators have attempted to look at the original text and translate it “thought for thought.” Instead of looking at individual words, they look at larger phrases and attempt to translate the thought the original author was communicating in Greek or Hebrew into an equivalent thought in English. The NIV (New International Version) is a “thought for thought” or “dynamic equivalence” translation. Many people find the NIV to be easier to understand and smoother to read, making it a very popular choice. The NIV is largely trustworthy, although there has been debate over portions of the text – it’s a good choice for devotional reading, Scripture memory, or to read aloud, but it would not be my choice for serious Bible study. If you do use the NIV for daily Bible study, I would recommend that you use it alongside a more precise word-for-word translation.

A third general category for Bible translations would be paraphrases – some Bible students despise them and others love them! In a paraphrase, the author interprets the passage based on his understanding of the passage, rather than on the original language and its English equivalent. This makes a paraphrase much more prone to error or the author’s theological bias. Examples of paraphrases would be The Message and The Living Bible (TLB). Paraphrases can be useful – I enjoy pulling them out to read passages that are very familiar to me in the NIV or NASB; suddenly reading them in different wording often gives me a fresh perspective. Some people like to use them for devotional reading. Just be aware that a paraphrase is more like a devotional than a translation – the person writing the paraphrase is often seeking to explain it in a new way, rather than just present exactly what the text says. This can limit the text and add a spin or bias from the author.

The issue of translations can be a hotly debated one. Ask ten solid Christians which translation you should purchase and you will end up with a huge variety of answers. Keep in mind that no matter what you purchase, each version has strengths and weaknesses. Make an informed decision, use them as tools, lay them out side by side. You can even look verses up in a wide variety of translations using only your computer and internet access – BibleGateway.com or the Online Parallel Bible are great places to start comparing translations and noticing the differences between them.

What an amazing privilege we have – not only do we have access to the Scriptures in our own language, but we have access to it in a mind-numbing array of options! Be thankful, and dig in!

So, what IS the Bible, anyway?

June 7, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 61 Comments

: Image via Wikipedia

I wonder what comes to mind for you when you think of the Bible? What is the Bible all about?

Some people have sentimentalized it as “God’s love letter to me.” While this is true on some levels, it misses the heartbeat of the book. Take a quick scan through Leviticus or Judges and suddenly it doesn’t feel too much like a personal love letter!

I have often heard people define the Bible as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Again, while the Bible certainly does teach me how to live, the vast majority of passages in this book do not leave you with a clear “do this” or “don’t do this” message.

The Bible can be confusing for many reasons. Many people begin reading in Genesis and expect it to unfold chronologically as a story the whole way through. Then they’re blindsided by Leviticus, and if they manage to push through to Kings and Chronicles they begin to feel as though they are reading repeats of the same stories [sometimes they are!]. Usually people give up at some point and skip to the New Testament.

Then we read through the parables and sermons of Jesus, and to be honest, they don’t always make sense to us. We guess at what they mean, we highlight verses that seem particularly poetic and profound, and then we all play along like we understand. The rest of the New Testament has loads of “underlinable” verses… and we just skip the parts that seem confusing or irrelevant. And don’t even mention Revelation – that book is just weird.

Does that sound familiar to you? I think all of us have felt like this at one point or another!

Let me tell you something that completely changed the way I read and understand Scripture. Learning this helped to unlock some of those “weird,” “confusing,” and “irrelevant” passages for me.

The Bible isn’t about me. The Bible is about God.

The Bible is God’s story. 66 books woven together into an incredibly rich and profound tapestry – some books are full of narrative (history told in story), some are laws, some are prophecies, some are letters to individuals and specific groups. All of them are inspired by God – all of them are included for a reason.

While this book is not a simple story easily digestible in one quick read, it all forms one beautiful and grand narrative. The story of a God who is, who was, and who is to come. The story of a God who created humanity in His image, initiated relationship with them, and loved them enough to go to incredible lengths to redeem them from their own brokenness. If we approach this book with the underlying questions, “what does this mean to me? How does this make me feel?” – we will conclude that it is irrelevant and we will skip to the next part. But if we approach with the questions, “what does this mean? What does this tell me about God and His ways?” – it will revolutionize the way we read our Bibles, and it will revolutionize our relationships with God.

The Bible is not all about me. The Bible is all about God. I don’t read the Bible to make me feel good – I read the Bible to catch a glimpse of the greatness and glory of our amazing God. And yes, that does profoundly affect the way I live. Yes, it gives me a deep sense of the depth of His love for me. But the focus is ultimately on Him – it’s His story, not mine.

For further reading:

So, Why Do we Have the Bible?

God’s Big Story – the story of Scripture in a nutshell

Sweeter than honey

June 1, 2010 by Kristi Stephens 12 Comments

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:7-11

As I have grown in my own walk with the Lord, discussed His Word with other believers, taught the Scriptures to women, and sought to introduce others to the great adventure of studying the Bible through my blog, I have become convinced that many believers in Jesus, if not most, are missing out on the beautiful gift of knowing God’s Word. Really knowing it. Searching through it as a treasure more valuable than gold, savoring it as a delicacy sweeter than honey, discovering that God uses His Word to give light to our eyes and revive our very souls.

When Teri Lynne and I began talking about Scripture Dig, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be part of this project! There are few things that thrill my heart like watching others get “hooked” on exploring and studying the Bible for themselves – seeing their eyes light up with understanding and a spark of excitement!

I am excited and humbled to be a writer for this site – I can’t wait to get to know you better and spend some time together in the pages of this living and active book that can change our lives forever. I hope you will join the journey – and I pray that you will discover that you are being revived, becoming wise, finding joy, seeing more clearly, and treasuring what has become sweeter than honey and more precious than gold.

He is good! His Word is rich and full! Let’s dig in together.

See you soon!

–Kristi Stephens