IT WAS AN ACCIDENT

One day, I sensed the Lord nudging me to shake up my devotional Bible reading. For decades, I’d used a daily reading plan that allowed me to read through it each year. I call it “reading for distance.” And although I was determined to still continue doing that, I now felt Jesus inviting me to also “read for depth.” And not for sermon preparation. It would just be about focusing on one small chunk of Scripture at a time, while inviting the Holy Spirit to help me mine it deeply for what He wanted to reveal through it.

So, I randomly decided to start with the Gospel of John and take it slow, savoring a verse or two or three over a period of at least a whole day, and letting the Lord saturate my life with it.

I started with chapter one, verse one. And as I was meditating on it, I decided to step outside my office and go for a short walk. As I did, I started talking out loud to myself about the verse. And I found that process opened things up for me in a powerful way.

I wanted to document what I was experiencing so I wouldn’t forget it. So, I reached into my pocket, grabbed my phone, and started videoing myself. Afterward, I decided to share that short video on facebook. And I received several comments from friends who said it had been helpful to them. So, I kept up this simple process, creating a video chronicle of my journey through John.

And that’s how I accidentally began to record a devotional video commentary. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to finish the book of John in my lifetime. But I’ve decided to keep at it for my own benefit and perhaps yours as well.