Living by the Book/Living by the Book Workbook Set (84 page)

Do you get the sense that Jesus was concerned only for the spiritual well-being of this couple? What does your response suggest about Jesus’ concern for your own current struggles?

If we read this account with little or no imagination, we conclude that Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine. But if we imagine ourselves there, or Jesus here among us, we may get a glimpse of an infinite God who is concerned about all of our problems and embarrassments of life.

Similar lessons are to be found when we use our imagination as we sail with Noah, stand in the fiery furnace, witness the fall of Jerusalem, worship at the manger, or share a plank with Paul after a violent shipwreck.

If your imagination is out of shape, you’ll need more practice than most people. But if you’re willing to put a little effort into these exercises, we imagine you will benefit immensely.

TODAY’S PASSAGE:

2 Samuel 6:1–8

TIME COMMITMENT:

At least one day

“Use your time—at the beginning of the day, at coffee break, during your lunch hour, riding home from work, before you go to sleep at night—to reflect upon the truth that you study” (p. 117).

Y
ou can meditate on any verse or passage of Scripture—and you should. But reading meditatively is perhaps most helpful for the portions of the Bible that may seem unclear or that don’t have easy interpretations. We’ve chosen one such passage for your reading today.

Read 2 Samuel 6:1–8 and look at the questions that follow, but don’t answer them yet. Give your mind at least a day to mull over the significance of the story. Think about it as often as possible during the day. Then come back to these questions in a day or so and answer them.

Do you know the context of this story? (If not, skim through the previous chapters of 2 Samuel to see what’s going on.)

What kind of guy was Uzzah?

What did Uzzah do that was so wrong? What might have happened if he hadn’t acted?