“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)

I just finished the Bonhoeffer biography I told you about last time. It was weighty, sobering, heart-breaking, and hope-giving. There are many treasures I took away from reading it, but one simple idea was the way Bonhoeffer taught his seminary students to read the Bible. They were so accustomed to dissecting each verse, theorizing and debating, looking up the Greek and Hebrew, that they were inept at actually knowing how to hear from God through His Word! So he made them meditate on a single passage each week and barred them from doing any formal research. They were to simply ask what God had to say to them in His Word. This proved very difficult and frustrating for some students, but in the end fruitful. It was a practice many of them would carry throughout their lives, and one that sustained Bonhoeffer in dark days.

I find that I am so prone to wander spiritually, so quick to seek joy elsewhere, so easily discouraged, that more than anything else, I need to hear daily from Jesus. Like the little Wemmick in Max Lucado’s (You are Special) children’s book who cares so much about the kind of dots others stick to Him, I need to come daily to my Maker. I need to hear His will. I need to confess my sin and know His grace. I need Him to lead me to be holy as He is holy. 

I am trying a Bonhoeffer-inspired approach to Scripture these days: reading a passage and then asking the Lord what He wants me to meditate on for the week.

Two weeks ago I came to this passage:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV)

One thing I do know is that I don’t have to be superwoman who has all the answers. That in itself won’t convince anyone of God’s greatness. Paul, the great missionary himself, came in “weakness and in fear and much trembling.” 

Last week, I honed in on the verse, “‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). This week, I think it’s “you are still of the flesh” (1 Corinthians 3:3). God has handed me precious treasures from His Word, worthy of the time to handle and examine and cherish.

My purpose here is not to advocate for any particular method of Scripture study, but only to encourage you to seek Jesus in His Word, to listen, and then to build your life on those words–whatever the particular method you’re using at the moment. It doesn’t have to be complicated and overwhelming, and can be as simple as reading a few verses each week and asking God what He wants to say to you through them. 

Then, God can make us like this verse below, despite the storms, the pounding rain, the floods (which will surely come):

Today’s printable Bible verse coloring page is from Matthew 7:24. You can download your page HERE in Spanish or HERE in English or by clicking on the images below!*

And for the first time, I’m sharing a version of the coloring page with no words HERE (or click  the image below). I’ve heard from several readers from around the world who speak languages other than English and Spanish, and are looking for Bible artwork they can use. If you add your own language lettering to this page, will you share it with me at mary@marydeandraws.com or on Instagram or Facebook? I’d love to see!