Five basic steps for learning God's 'Story'

In some ways, this is a picture of how some of us read the Bible— if and when we read it.

We often refer to this reading as a “devotion.” Now, I firmly believe we should read the Bible and learn about Christ with devotion, but I don’t think that is what is usually meant by a “devotional.”

Here’s what probably happens for many of us.

We open the Bible at random, or perhaps to a designated verse or small section. The portion we read is often unrelated to what we read yesterday or will read tomorrow. How is the verse or section selected?

Sometimes, we follow a booklet with a verse for the day; sometimes, we are motivated by a problem we are experiencing, or someone suggested a verse; sometimes, it might result from a systematic reading over weeks of a particular book of the Bible. All of these approaches can be good.

I am suggesting a better way. As pointed out in the previous blog, most of us do not know the whole ‘Story.’ So, how do we know where an individual verse fits and what it means?

Reading a verse or small section of the Bible (in isolation and probably at random) is like picking up one piece of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle scattered on the table.

You look at the puzzle piece with a bit of green and brown and what appears to be part of a person’s thumb. What is it? Where does it fit? How does it contribute to the completed picture? 

Five steps for solving a puzzle

Our family follows a system for solving jigsaw puzzles. Here are the five steps we follow:

1. We turn all the pieces color-side up. As we go through the 1,000 pieces, we separate those that are part of the puzzle’s edge. Locating the four corner pieces is a high priority.

2. We build the border of the puzzle. This gives us the boundaries of the puzzle and the reference points for filling in the rest of the puzzle.

3. The lengthy (sometimes tedious) process of filling in the complete picture. We identify particular colors (e.g., the forest green of a line of distant trees), general objects (e.g., a wooden tower off to one side), and specific features (e.g., a person’s face in the foreground). Little sections of the puzzle begin to take shape.

4. The smaller sections grow, and they connect with other sections.

5. Finally, we put the remaining pieces in the few remaining slots. 

The big picture

We keep referring to one thing that gives us guidance and hope. Do you know what it is?

The complete picture is on the lid of the box.

In some ways, getting the complete picture of the Bible is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. One piece here or there is not going to be of much help. Seeing the big picture makes all the difference.

Reading only the New Testament is like working with only one-third of the puzzle pieces. We need to read the whole Bible, the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures, and the New Testament.

Read or listen to the Bible to find the edges or outline of the ‘Story.’[1] These edges will form the boundary of the ‘Story’ and provide the reference points needed to understand it.