Every year I set my heart to read straight through the
Bible. In January, I make my way through the Genesis narrative and God’s love
and pursuit of a sinful people and late in December I rejoice that our tears
have been wiped away. Hope is realized. We see Christ face to face in the new
heavens and the new earth.
But in August and September, I languish. My soul languishes
in Lamentations with Jeremiah. I am weeping with the prophet as the people
throw themselves on the mercies of idols that cannot and will not save them.
And I dread the book of Ezekiel. It is always the hardest book of the Bible for
me to read through. It’s dense and full of woe. The dry bones that are made
alive are but a short drink in a book that almost always leaves my soul
parched.
And this is why I relish reading through the Bible cover to
cover because I know that the exiles will soon be returning to Jerusulem.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies
never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who
seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25
“It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation
of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:26
I think maybe the character of the Lord is more surely seen
when I have seen his patience and his love for his rebellious people. I am more resolute in my waiting and my
seeking because I can see the miracle of the Lord’s hand in all of history.
I know that even
though the Lord’s hand of judgment is fierce and severe, the incarnation is on
the horizon. The sunrise on high is beckoning to my soul and I cannot wait to
relish the Good News that God saw that there was no one to save and so He
stepped in to provide His Son, the Savior of the World.
Reading and relishing the Word is bringing life to these
bones, as I long for the day when I will truly see my Savior.
