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Where to Get
the Time to Read and Study the Word?
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a reflection
by Roger Foley
I can recognise many seasons in my reading of the
Word [the Bible]. I was baptised in the Spirit in
September 1974 and that’s where it all started. I
recall setting to the task of reading the Bible,
and for me, this meant starting at page one, then
page after page after page. And that I have never
regretted. Every day, every page, the
understandable, the confusing, the exciting, the
genealogies, the begot this, and the begot that …
indeed the whole nine yards as the saying goes. It
was wonderful and it was worth it.
God was establishing an ‘invisible’ foundation
through His Word [the Bible] and slowly building
it into His work [me, a sinner] and I am forever
grateful. I pray I will never lose my passion for
the Bible. Indeed it is life for those who dare
try living it.
How did I ‘find the time?’ We had three young
children, a mortgage and debt, a single income
family, and I worked around sixty hours a week for
a multi-national, and very demanding, company. So
where did I find the time? Most in the
Christchurch Branch of the Lamb of God know the
answer. I deliberately cut down on sleep and gave
that time to study. And ever since I have
maintained that discipline. I am just not a person
who ever ‘has a lie in.’ Those years built a
foundation. Then followed many years, and still,
of not just reading the Bible,but studying it.
This included a four-year course, immediately
followed by a two year Diploma and Examination
Course, followed by at least ten years of
disciplined home study.
Why did I do all of this, was it necessary? I
guess not, but I did it because I loved the Word,
simply loved it. I did not understand a foundation
was being built, I did not know I would need a
foundation. But I sure did.
Veronica and I needed to enter a desolate and
barren wilderness. We needed to ‘survive’ and hold
onto sanity as our son Danny [aged 21] then Glen
and his new bride Louise [25 and 23], plus two
babies by miscarriage, all died within a short
period of time. In this darkness, I found the
Pentateuch spoke back to me, it came alive. I
could identify with the Scripture speaking of a
‘vast and terrible wilderness’, I could identify
with the struggles in the Book of Job ‘… though he
slay me, yet will I hope in him,’ and I words
declared by Zophar: ‘if you devote your heart to
him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put
away the sin that is in your hand and allow no
evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up
your face without shame, you will stand firm and
without fear …’ That was many years ago, but it
remains vivid for me.
My seasons have changed again. Now I do not us my
NIV Study Bible so much, and I am not doing any
courses. But I rather sit with my Basic slim-line
NIV with no fancy notes. I now more meander
through the Scriptures and my pace is dictated by
‘my discussions with God’. We have lots of
‘discussions’ and there is no particular hurry,
and every day I am enriched.
I have been around long enough to be aware that
many Christians are not strong on Scripture. They
just do not set aside time to read and enjoy the
richness of the Word of God, and sadly there are a
good number of men and women in this category who
get raised into leadership service. They will
struggle as time goes by. A basic requirement if
we are to serve God’s people needs to be our love
for, and familiarity with, the Word of God. If we
do not have that, we have little to ‘give.’
To those who have a hunger but not a discipline,
to those who do not know how to begin or where to
begin, to those who want to start the journey of
study, to those perhaps in leadership but knowing
they are a bit of a "hollow gong" - seek out a
seasoned Bible reader and lover of God's Word who
can offer you some personal help and support.
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Roger
Foley is the senior
coordinator of the Lamb of God, a community
of the Sword of the
Spirit with 7
branches located
throughout New
Zealand. He and his
wife Veronica live
in Christchurch, New
Zealand. |
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