What Strikes You?

READ: LUKE 11:9-13; JOHN 16:1-15; EPHESIANS 1:18

In college, I had a professor who started class discussions about readings by showing us a picture of a lightning bolt striking the earth. Then she’d ask the question, “What struck you?” Sometimes, I like to ask myself this kind of question when I read the Bible. I like this simple approach of just looking for one thing that sticks out to me. It could be a word, a phrase, something someone did or said—or didn’t say or do. I like to pay attention to how this one thing makes me feel, because when we read the Bible, we’re not just reading for information or instructions. God is inviting us to interact with Him. The Holy Spirit helps us notice things, and He invites us to go deeper with God, to know Him better, to trust Him more.

So, when I read a passage in the Bible, I usually start by asking God to help me see what He wants to show me. I might have to read the passage more than once, but something almost always “strikes me” or sticks out to me. As I spend some time thinking and praying about it, I ask God questions and tell Him what I like—or don’t like—about that one thing.

Here’s an example: On Monday, I read John 16:1-15. In this passage, Jesus knows He is going to the cross the next day—and that He will rise from the dead three days later—and He promises His followers that the Holy Spirit will come to them after He ascends to the Father. When I read this passage, the word receive stuck out to me in verses 13-15: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…He will glorify me [Jesus] because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

As I contemplated the word receive, I marveled at the mystery of the Trinity—one God in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I dwelt on the idea of the Holy Spirit receiving from the Son, I was struck by how God is so giving, and I felt restful. So, on Tuesday, I wanted to journal about the word receive, and I did. But as I was reading John 16:1-15 again, another word stuck out to me. This time it was guide. I had recently been thinking about how Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and it made me feel relieved to be reminded that God guides us—it was just what I needed to hear. Isn’t our God so kind? As we seek Him and spend time in His Word, Jesus draws us into deeper and deeper relationship with Himself. He is so generous to give us understanding and to guide us. • Hannah Howe

• How do you like to read the Bible? Have you ever tried talking to God about what you read?

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalm 119:18 (NIV)