Preacher on the Run…

I had about 20 minutes to kill after stopping at the store to grab a few things on my way to someone’s house for a meeting. How would I kill those minutes? I could walk around the store some more. I thought about calling a friend and catching up for a few minutes. But then my stomach reminded me of a far more pressing issue…it was dinner time and I was hungry. So I did what anyone would do given the same options – I headed to the nearest Chick-Fil-A for dinner.

I decided to eat inside rather than drive-thru or getting carry out. I walked in, waited in line briefly, ordered my meal (#1 with fries and a sweet tea of course), then picked a table, and sat down. In those few moments between ordering and getting my food, I realized something…I was dining alone. It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it was different. At that moment, I couldn’t recall the last time I had eaten in a restaurant alone. I looked around and saw everyone else enjoying their meals with others.

The experience of eating a meal alone reminds me of the great joy and privilege it is to live in community. To have others doing life alongside you is part of what it means to be human. We are relational beings. And while eating a meal with others is much better, there is another activity I believe is enhanced when done together – reading the Bible. Engaging and feasting upon God’s Word is amplified in joy when done with others. But how do we do that? Drew Hunter gives “7 Tips to Reading God’s Word with Another Person“. Check it out.

Tip one is worth your time to read the article. It’s a needed reminder when something just seems too daunting or complicated. Reading the Bible, like eating a meal with someone else, shouldn’t be a scary endeavor, quite the opposite. It should be something we prefer and enjoy doing. What tip did you appreciate most? Which one will you put into practice this month? If you play your cards right, maybe you could avoid a situation like I had and double your joy not just by sharing a meal with someone, but by feasting on God’s Word at the same time.

As always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s Day.

Until Next Time…

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash