I open my Bible ... but I do not begin to read. My mind struggles to contemplate a Sovereign Creator, Who would choose to reveal Himself to deliberately fallen mortals. What is He like?
He dwells in unapproachable light. He is a consuming fire. What majestic power is in His Word, that He spoke the universe into being; just by His Word stars, planets, galaxies were flung into the far reaches of space! Demons tremble in terror before Him and Satan is commanded to appear in Heaven to give account of his doings.
What is God like?
Then I think of men of old, different men in different vocations at different times in history; some of them very strange to us. Yet they were carried beyond themselves and caught up in a huge compelling, moved by a fire in their bones to inscribe the God-breathed message.
What is God like?
My thoughts journey on through the centuries, reflecting on those rare individuals who devoted their hearts, tears, time, energy and even their lives to the Divine charge of getting the Eternal Word of the Living God into the hands of the people.
What is God like?
As I stand before the bar of this Holy Word, oh, oh, oh! I am found wanting.
But that is not the end.
I must proceed to that startling time when the Word, the Eternal Word, the Living Word, the Unchanging Word, was made flesh, lived among us and the glory of God and the God of glory was revealed to us.
Now we know what He is like; we just have to look at Jesus. Amazing grace, how can it be, that Thou, my God, should die for me? So now, absolved before the bar, before the throne, I stand and with confidence draw near, right up close to the Mystery Who is God.
Then ... bathed in the wonder of awesome privilege ... I begin to read the Holy Book.
With love & prayers