{via} Sometimes the Word of God gives me chills. Like straight up messes with my biological system and gives me goose bumps. The story of a Savior who loves us so much that He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins... it's so profoundly beautiful. Some days I just read Scripture, more out of duty than delight, and I go on with my day. But other times, I stop dead in my tracks while my nervous system reacts to the Word of God whether through smiles, shivers, or tears. Jesus. He loves me. Today, for example, I was reading II Corinthians 5. If I had been paying attention, I would have known. If I had stopped and looked at the big number five at the top of the chapter, I would have known that the goose bumps were coming. II Corinthians 5 is one of those power chapters of the Bible where the Gospel of Christ is painted so clearly with such heart-humbling and mind-transforming words that it's almost as if you can feel the brush of the Holy Spirit all around you as you read it. Other chapters of the Bible are like this... Psalm 16, John 15-17, Romans 8, Ephesians 1, Philippians {pretty much all of it}, and Revelation 21. That's just my opinion of course. But I highly recommend those chapters for some biologically impacting, Gospel-infused reading. Anyway, I was reading II Corinthians 5 and I didn't pay attention to the fact that I was about to read a power chapter, because it was simply the next passage in my Bible reading plan and it was Friday morning and that was that. But then the words began. Words that rock you to your core. The goose bumps appeared and the joyful, awe-filled shiver made its way down my spine. "The love of Christ controls us..." {v.14}. What? I don't have to be controlled by my selfish sense of entitlement? My desire for control? My futile seeking of perfection? My anxiety over circumstances? My volatile feelings? I am not controlled by those things, you say? I am controlled by the love of Christ. The love of one who would die on a cross. The one who conquered death. That wrecks me. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come..." {v.17}. I am a new creation. I have died to my sin. That pride and fear that used to keep me in bondage? That is gone. That old me is gone forever because Christ defeated it forever. I am a new creation. I am free to love fully and serve gladly. I have joy forevermore in Christ. I have no shame. I have righteousness in Jesus. "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself..." {v.18}. God wanted me. He pursued me with no conditions. He loved me before I ever loved Him. He chose me to be His child. When I was dead, He made me alive and when I was His enemy, He made me His friend. Because I have been reconciled to God through Christ, I can approach the Father any time and know that He greets me as His beloved. This. This is the stuff of goose bumps and shivers of joy. These are the truths that overwhelm my soul with gladness. God's Word. I love it. And I pray it messes with your nervous system today too. ... Read more

There are so many layers of rich truth in God's Word, reading it broadly is not enough. We must be willing to study Scripture deeply. {via} Anytime we are passionate about something, we are willing to learn deeply about that subject. For me, one of my passions has always been writing. Not only have I pursued quite a bit of formal education in this area, but I read informally in my spare time to learn more about writing, blogging, and publishing. For others their passion might be painting or photography or sewing. If this describes you, you've probably invested countless hours into learning your craft deeply... experimenting with your camera settings, reading tutorials, or watching instructional videos. If you are into computer programming, you have probably taken the time to learn computer languages such as Java or C++. Even small children show us that passion leads to deep learning. Just think of the preschooler you know who can recite 50 species of dinosaurs by name or can identify more heavy equipment vehicles than the average construction manager. Passion leads to learning. So if we are truly passionate about the Lord, we should desire to know Him more. We should desire to learn about His character, to understand His promises, and to comprehend His commands. We should want His stories imprinted on our minds and His words to roll off our tongues. The only way to know God this well is by studying His Word deeply. Read the rest of the Digging Deep series here... ... Read more