Loving His Letter

"do you not know what the Scripture says"

Romans 11:2

Another quote today.  A friend of mine gave me a book of quotes recently, and I'm being inspired!  

Which was probably the point of the book, after all.

So here's today's offering.  This was written by British politician and author, Viscount Alfred "Duff" Cooper, (1890-1954) in a letter.  I don't know who he was writing to, but it's part of the fun of wondering, I think.  Anyhow, he wrote:

"Don't write too legibly or intelligibly as I have no occupation so pleasant as pondering for hours over your hieroglyphics, and for hours more trying to interpret your sayings.  A clearly written, simply expressed letter is too like the lightning."

Now first of all, isn't that beautiful?  I'm assuming this was a letter to his wife (or his sweetheart, before he had a wife) and I just love the idea of him poring over letters he had received from her, drinking in every word and implication, studying her handwriting and the special way she signed her name.

Makes a person wonder if romance even exists anymore, doesn't it?

Which, of course, it does; it just looks different than it used to. 

The reason the quote caught my mind was that it's exactly how we should feel about Scripture.  I mean, that's exactly what Bible study is supposed to be about, whether it's individual or corporate.  Parsing phrases, looking up the original language, comparing translations, meditating on words, looking up geography, using a dictionary even for words you already know.  

And no complaining about books or sections that are "too hard".  The "hard" parts are not hard; they are simply waiting to reward our efforts to deeply understand them.  If you think it's too much like deciphering, then great!  Start deciphering!   There should be, for us, no occupation so pleasant as pondering His Word for hours. 

If you don't feel that way about the Bible, ask yourself if maybe you're not approaching it the right way.  Trying seeing it as a love letter.  Because it is. 

~ "Search from the book of the Lord and read" ~

Isaiah 34:16

~

photo credit: wikimedia