still singing

I have been reading the most amazing book.

Well, two amazing books.

Actually, three.

Or, very technically speaking, five.

Somewhere toward the beginning of the year, I was encouraged by some combination of Joe Carter, Justin Taylor, and Nathan to take a book of the Bible and read it twenty times consecutively. I started with Philippians and read it half-faithfully for probably 20 times. Along the way I got sidetracked and sort of disenchanted with the whole system.

But last month I was working through some thoughts on the tongue and Christian speech, and found myself in James -- not just James 3, but James 4. And then because I couldn't seem to separate any of it, I ended up with James 1-5. It was so amazingly applicable and TRUE, I was eager to give it at least 20 readings to be able to glean as much as I could out of it.

It has been one of the best gifts ever!

Then we are also reading Titus in Sunday School the same way. Same thing there. Except with Titus it is feeling like the book keeps expanding and contracting. One day it seems to very simply say "faith without works is dead" (there comes James again), but other days it shouts "the grace of God has appeared!" "the goodness and loving kindness of our Savior has appeared!" Some days it stings and asks, "do you know what it means to be discreet?" and other days it says, "He is so good! How can you help but pour out your life before Him?" Still other days it whispers "your hope comes from the eternal God Who is faithful and has never broken a promise. Live that way."