Getting It

A week or so ago I stopped by my friend Dave’s house. When he brought me into the living room, I noticed an open bible on the kitchen island. He’d been reading one of the gospels and had highlighted a few verses in yellow.  I love to see a well-marked up Bible, and I told him so. 

Several days later, he and I had lunch at a local sandwich place. After a while our conversation turned to spiritual things. When I shared with him what the Lord had said to me that morning during my quiet time with the Scriptures, Dave told me he doesn’t have that kind of ‘connection’ with God. He said he’s never heard God talk to him. 

I looked at him a moment and then asked: “Don’t you mark up your Bible with highlighter?  He said, “Sure.” 

“Why do you mark it up?” 

He said because certain texts speak to him as he reads them. 

I smiled and asked, “So who do you think is actually ‘speaking’ to you as you read? Is the source of the insight you get from reading the Bible from your own thoughts – or are they of the Holy Spirit speaking to you through His word?” 

I watched the proverbial lightbulb click into the ‘on’ position. 

He got it. God does talk to him. He just didn’t recognize it. 

I suspect from now on, he will.