God With Usনমুনা

Practicing the “With-ness” of Scripture

Christmas pageants and Sunday School plays were a part of my upbringing.

As a child, I played many parts, including a shepherd and a “wise man,” which is ironic, I know.

One of those productions required me to memorize the Luke 2 passage recounting the Christmas story in our quaint little recital. Even today, when someone begins to read the passage, my mind kicks into gear, recalling word for word. Reflecting on this great passage still impacts me today.

Luke 2 is, to no one’s surprise, preceded by Luke 1. It sets the stage for the Incarnation narrative and recounts the prophetic foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:1-38) and his cousin, the soon-to-arrive Messiah, Jesus.

Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Zechariah are introduced along with their pivotal roles in the Advent story. Mary’s three-month visit to her cousin Elizabeth and her hymn of praise called the Magnificat (Luke 1:39-56) reveals the worship and willingness of this servant of the Lord.

But before the chapter ends, John the Baptist is born (Luke 1:57-66), and Zechariah is filled with the Spirit to deliver a messianic prophecy (Luke 1:67-79). His words reveal that he had a deep knowledge and practice of Jewish Scriptures and traditions. He references the royal line of David (v.69), the promise of the prophets long ago (v.70), his ancestors (v.72), and the Abrahamic covenant to the people of Israel (v.73).

This guy knew the story. It was in his heart, and when the Holy Spirit moved on him, it flowed from his lips.

Men, we need to know, read, consume, and live the story of God. The Scriptures are more available than at any time in human history. There are more translations, hard copies, online resources, videos, and audio tools to help us be men of the Word. Yet Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns states: “It is a strange and disconcerting irony that in the midst of a wealth of biblical information, we live in the Dark Age of biblical illiteracy.”[1]

It is commonly said that many men aren’t readers, but this cannot be an excuse when it comes to the Word of God. We need to be men of the Book.

The Psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NLT). We live in days of misinformation, conspiracy theories, fake news, and heretical teaching. We must be different by getting God’s Word in our hearts to become men who know and live the truth daily.

If we want to experience the God who is with us, we need to get back to the Book, back to His story, for in it, we will find Him, and as His word infiltrates our hearts and minds, we can experience His “with-ness” in a very real way.

Prayer: Lord, I confess to you that I can neglect Your Word. Help me prioritize it in my life as a daily practice. Help me be not just a hearer but a doer of Your Word. Amen.

Reflection: This Advent season, take time to read the Scriptural story of the birth of our Savior (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2). Read it slowly, meditate on it, jot down your thoughts, and ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you through His Word.

[1] Cheryl Bridges Johns. Re-enchanting the Text: Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious. Baker Books, 2023, p. 18.