Did the Bible Live In Me?

Today is the Fourth of July, and I am sitting by the shore of the largest natural lake in Indiana, Lake Wawasee, enjoying the sunshine and watching the water. It’s a beautiful (though hot) day with friends and family, a day of rest and a break from the normal hurried pace. Sitting here, iced tea in hand, enjoying the breeze, gives me time to reflect on the question...did the Bible live in me today?

Ideally, of course, this is not a “one and done” question. It’s a question for every day. It gets at the heart of our Biblical faith, which is not about knowing verses, chapters or references. It’s not about knowing stories or principles. It’s about getting the Word that the Bible points to inside of us. It’s about living the words out so that the Word can be seen.

Last night I posted a quote from Eugene Peterson on Facebook, a quote that really made me think and caused some minor controversy in its posting. Peterson said this: “Scripture without prayer has no soul; prayer without Scripture has no substance.” By that, I don’t think Peterson means to say we should only pray words from Scripture. (Which version should we pray, anyway? Oh, wait, if it’s Peterson, it’s The Message.) He doesn’t say we should only pray those particular words or a rote prayer; he’s talking about prayer WITH Scripture. I think he’s saying that our praying must be informed, inspired and shaped by what we read in Scripture. Prayer must be connected to Scripture. Without that grounding, our praying becomes selfish, self-centered and possibly even heretical. It’s not about the word choice; it’s about having a heart shaped by the Bible so that it lives in us and we live a life shaped by that word.

So did the Bible live in me today? Yes, I hope so. I believe so. I pray that everyone who sees me sees Jesus, the Word made flesh, in me, and that they know I believe because they’ve seen my life. The Bible lives in me because Jesus lives in me, today and every day.