The joys of a continuing saga...

I posted last week about some of the things God has been teaching me through my time having to throttle back on life due to illness.  Things have yet to get markedly better, in fact I'm at the hospital tomorrow for 6 more blood tests, it's now not thought to be stress related IBS but possibly either Glandular fever or Post Viral Fatigue.  Neither is brilliant as both will be slow at clearing and really just need rest and to boost my immune system.  But God has continued to be gracious and bless.

One of the greatest blessings and joys has been the chance to spend more time reading the Bible.  When you have to spend a couple of hours in bed in an afternoon it has been great to be able to read whole books of the bible at a time.  You can't help but get swept up in the vast, sweeping, swift paced and action packed story lines of Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and Samuel.  Even Leviticus proved a blessing read in two sittings where I could really see God's concern to purge sin from his people because of the dire consequences it would have if they didn't.  Just enjoying God's word and revelling in the history has helped me see God's character clearly in stories that I'm often tempted to dissect and mine rather than simply read and appreciate their sweep.

As I've read it has warmed my heart again to see how great God is, how gracious, how patient, and how concerned for his people's holiness because that is what is good for them and what he calls them to by his grace.  This longer in-depth reading for no other purpose than enjoying scripture and God has fuelled my prayers and praise.  I'm always aware of the feebleness of my prayers, and as I've read more and more of God's word I've begun to wonder if that's because in studying the Bible I have begun to miss so much about God that is praiseworthy, true, and beautiful.  I'm hoping that's another of those lessons that sticks post illness (praying that comes - though after 7 weeks I'm beginning to wonder) when I'm back to full speed.  That I just need to read and enjoy scripture and marvel at the God who has called me and saved me and adopted me as part of his eternal cosmos changing plan.