Meeting God in the Bible: How to Read Scripture Devotionally

Welcome to the companion Website for the book “Meeting God in the Bible: How to Read Scripture Devotionally,” by John M. Linebarger. On this site you will find supplementary resources for each of the chapters in the book. Updates will be made periodically as new resources become available.

Please note that all royalties from the sale of the book go directly to Wycliffe Bible Translators. The version of the Bible quoted in the book is the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise indicated.

Interactive Table of Contents

Foreword by Fernando Ortega

As I sit down to write this foreword, the world is halfway through the year 2019. Like any given date in history, there are global crises everywhere to read about in the newspapers or online: global warming; a heart-breaking civil war in Yemen; a brutal dictatorship in Venezuela; family separations at the U.S./Mexico border. All these crises and many more come to mind.  

Four decades ago, when I was in my twenties, I often tried to imagine what life would be like at the turn of the twentieth century. I would be 43! What would it be like to be so old? Would I be a father? Would I own a house? Would my faith be intact? The answer to all the questions would be “yes,” though the last question is somewhat abstract, both in how it is asked and in how I would answer it.

When I was in my twenties, “Quiet Times” were part of my daily routine. I studied the Bible, memorized scripture passages, read devotional books, kept in fellowship with my fellow Christians, and attended worship services. I always look back on my days at Hoffmantown Baptist Church with fondness and great nostalgia. They were the most healthy and functional days of my Christian journey thus far. They were also the beginning of my career as a professional church musician, recording artist, songwriter, and arranger. Alas—when the church is part of one’s profession, complications are sure to follow, as I was soon to find out.

Over the years I have walked with various congregations through every type of church scandal, including extramarital affairs, embezzlement of church funds, addictions, divorces, infighting—not to mention some of the personal catastrophes that plagued me. These events have, on occasion, pummeled me, blindsided me, undone me, and left me curled up on the floor and hyperventilating as I waited for a word from God. Now, at 62 years of age, it’s impossible not to feel jaded—sometimes deeply—as I try to navigate the road ahead in my walk with the Lord Jesus. Evangelical Christianity as I knew it in my twenties is in crisis, not just for the reasons I stated above, but also because the world has in many ways jettisoned religion and spirituality as an answer to its questions. 

The last time I visited England, Scotland, and Ireland, I was astonished at how many beautiful, centuries-old churches and cathedrals were now abandoned or had been converted into restaurants, bars, nightclubs, or dance halls. That scenario has played out over most of Europe. To a lesser degree, the same is happening here in the United States. Granted, the Church is more than just a building, but this phenomenon is definitely a symptom of an overall turn away from Christianity all over the traditionally Christian world.

I found it interesting that this European turn from Christianity, the world’s global crises, and my own spiritual journey right through the middle of it, all came to mind when I first started to read John Linebarger’s book. During my reading I felt aware of the soft erosions in my own faith over the years—the many places where I’ve let my guard down and given myself over to doubts, fears, anxieties and sadness. I found myself resisting the enthusiasm of the characters in this book, resisting the joy that John Linebarger seemed to have in telling the story. But there were certain sentences and phrases that made me stop and read them over again. For instance, when I came to Sharon studying a passage in Philippians and . . . “She read this passage over and over, bathing in it, reveling in it, drinking it in like water to a thirsty soul,” I remember thinking, “That used to be me! What ever happened to that eager, thirsty Bible reading?”

At the end of the same section of the book, the Philippians passage is described as “God’s recipe for mental health.” I thought immediately of my several-years-long struggle with anxiety and social phobias. There were days on end where it seemed like I was walking on my hands and knees asking God for relief from the anxious thoughts that plagued and crippled me. I would go to the sanctuary of the church where I worked, kneel in the pews asking God to get me through just 10 more minutes, just 5 more minutes, and then head back into the office for a little while before returning to the sanctuary to kneel in the pews again. That’s the way I crawled my way through life and through my walk with God.

As I look back on those exceedingly difficult and agonizing days, I’m grateful for my pastor Josh Swanson who gently and persistently nudged me towards God. He was much like Sharon, the pastor’s wife in this book. He prayed with me, gave me books to read and Bible passages to mull over, which were small steps that helped me to not lose hope. I thought about him several times as I read this very helpful and, for me, very timely book. 

What does Meeting God in the Bible have to do with abandoned cathedrals, church scandals, and an anxiety-plagued musician? First off, I wish I had read this book when I was eighteen or so. I wish I’d had a very practical guide back then that taught me how to orchestrate my times alone with God. I was very good in those days about spending large amounts of time reading the Scriptures, but I easily glazed over the passages, not looking to experience God in them. My daily routine in reading and prayer did not prepare me for the scandal that was about to happen in my church.

It was the mid-1970s and I played piano at a Pentecostal church that was vibrant and alive. Our congregation was mostly young. We were ardent, faithful, and zealous followers of Jesus. We hung on every word that our leaders spoke. It was a devastating blow to us when our pastor ran off with a teenage girl who was just a couple of years younger than me. Soon after, his wife took over the church and it was not long before she had become addicted to prescription drugs and was embezzling church funds. Our tears flowed on the altar as we knelt before God, trying to figure out how the leaders we had trusted and believed in could so easily fall into sinfulness. The church services in the aftermath became more and more bizarre. My closest friends started to leave the church and abandon Christianity altogether.

My parents lived in Honduras at that time and I flew down to visit them for a few weeks. One night I was walking on the beach and felt completely overwhelmed by the church situation back home. I knelt in the sand as the waves washed me over and declared to God that I could no longer believe in him. I sobbed and cried out, “If this is Christianity, I don’t want it! If this is what it means to follow, then I just can’t do it!”

For several months I lived as though God did not exist. It wasn’t the last time I would place my faith in people over God. I wonder now how differently I might have handled the situation had I learned to meet God in his Word. To connect with Him who is greater than me, greater than every hardship, and infinitely more powerful than the dark forces that were at work in the leadership of my church. What would it have been like to find Him in his Word, to hear Him speak to me, comfort me, and encourage me, instead of me falling into despair? 

I don’t recall what kind of books were available to me in those early days of my faith. There was Hannah Hurnard’s book called Hind’s Feet On High Places. It was a good and helpful read, though fairly abstract in its approach. I think I found it a bit precious and sentimental, in retrospect. I had not yet discovered C.S. Lewis—he wasn’t really a staple in the Charismatic Movement. I imagine we would have thought of him as too cerebral and, audaciously, considered him to not be “filled with the Spirit.” Whatever the case, I had no guide like the one John Linebarger has written here.

I humbly, but confidently, recommend this book to anyone. It is well written, insightful, and though short, fairly comprehensive. There is something here for every Christian, no matter how new or old to the faith.

Introduction: Encountering God in a Quiet Time

Three common ways to read Scripture, from The Gospel Coalition (TGC). A fourth category might be added: Didactically. In other words, reading Scripture for the purposes of teaching a class or leading a Bible study.

Be aware that questions of literary context, historical context, social context (i.e., the intended audience), and structure may need to be addressed before the three suggested Quiet Time questions can be best answered. See Chapter 18: Biblical Interpretation for more details.

Chapter 1: Reading Scripture Devotionally

How do you read the Bible? An infographic of the results of a survey of Bible reading habits.

The vital importance of reading Scripture for formation instead just for information.

Chapter 2: Victoria’s First Quiet Time

The Navigators’ approach to a daily quiet time, which they call “7 Minutes with God.”

A podcast from a Gospel Coalition workshop about how your Quiet Time should change you.

Chapter 3: Sharon’s Story

Engaging the Power of Story: Impacting Others through Sharing Your Life Story. How to tell your testimony as a story.

John Piper has created a series of biographies (i.e., life stories and testimonies) of influential Christian leaders throughout history.

Chapter 4: Sharon’s Quiet Time

A helpful and exhaustive compendium of Quiet Time methods.

According to Ben Jefferies (in a reply to a Facebook post by the author), “‘Quiet Time’ is the evangelical term for what catholics used to call ‘Meditation’ or ‘Mental Prayer’. It used to be a staple of Anglo-Catholic piety, and it sort of fell off somewhere in the 1960s. … I highly recommend Bede Frost’s 1930s book ‘The Art of Mental Prayer‘ as [a] source for this rich tradition.”

How the Holy Spirit works in your Quiet Time.

Chapter 5: Bible Translations and the ACTS Prayer

Best-selling Bible translations in the US in 2022.

Home pages for several Bible translations: English Standard Version (ESV); New International Version (NIV); Christian Standard Bible (CSB); New Living Translation (NLT); New American Standard Bible (NASB); The Message. Online access to the New English Translation (NET Bible). Purchase information for the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB). Online access to the King James Version (KJV).

Free Bible apps for iOS mobile devices: ESV; NIV and other translations (uses an Olive Tree reader); CSB (uses a Tecarta reader); NASB; NET Bible. Android mobile devices are not as well served, but free apps are available for the NIV, the CSB, and the NASB.

Translation for the Tribes. A not-uncontroversial characterization of the political tribalism of Bible translations.

A discussion of Bible translations with a nice set of comparison graphics and charts if you scroll down a bit. Somewhat dated but still useful.

Marketing material for the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) also contains a couple of nice graphics that compare different Bible translations. Food for thought: the CSB is a very good translation, but precisely how is the “optimal” in their claim of Optimal Equivalence measured? Is anywhere on the line where Readable = Literal truly an “optimal” point? Or is optimality really a region where readability and literalness are both very high and roughly equivalent to each other? And is there a limit beyond which readability and literalness cannot both be increased given the nature of the original text of the Bible?

The same principle applies to the choice of Study Bibles as it does to the choice of translations: In a multitude of Study Bibles there is strength … and balance. The NIV Study Bible is broadly Evangelical, while the ESV Study Bible has more of a Reformed Theology flavor to the study notes. Both would make excellent choices and complement each other well. The CSB and NLT also offer Study Bibles.

The Filament Bible is an innovative combination of a printed Bible and an app on a mobile device. You scan a marker on the printed page with your mobile device and a set of electronic resources related to the passage appears in the app. The translation used is the New Living Translation (NLT).

The STEP Bible. A free Web-based Bible study tool from Tyndale House in the UK, which provides access to several Bible translations.

Olive Tree Bible Software. Olive Tree offers a free reader app (for the Web, for the PC, and for mobile devices) as well as several free Bible translations.

Bible.is App from Faith Comes By Hearing. The free Bible.is app from Faith Comes By Hearing contains Bible versions in languages used all over the world. Many of the Bible versions have audio tracks associated with them, some of which are dramatized. Supports a wide variety of mobile devices.

BibleWebApp. A powerful, free Web application that allows access to several popular Bible translations as well as the text of the original languages. Maps, commentaries, and audio are also available.

Free Bible software for the Windows platform. Some Bible translation modules require payment.

A comprehensive list of the best free Bible software resources, both online and downloadable. Updated and streamlined version of that list with recommendations.

The graphics below illustrate the recommendation that your “goto” Bible translations come from different areas along the Bible translation philosophy continuum, and/or that some come from the Tyndale Tradition and some come from outside of that tradition.

Chapter 6: Victoria’s Quiet Time Using an ACTS Prayer

An ACTS Prayer handout.
Using the ACTS Model to Enrich Your Prayer Life, by Todd Scacewater.
Using the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for your own prayer.

Pastor Tim Keller explains another prayer form to practice in addition to ACTS Prayer, called Collect Prayer. This form of prayer is particularly suited to more formal settings such as a worship service or a congregational meeting. A Collect Prayer can be structured in two basic ways, simple or complete.

Chapter 7: Bible Reading Plans

M’Cheyne’s calendar for daily Bible reading in single-page, double-sided, bi-fold form. And another version of the M’Cheyne’s calendar for daily readings handout, which has been refrigerator-tested by the author.

A Daily Bible Reading Plan with four reading categories: Psalms and Wisdom Literature; Pentateuch and History of Israel; Chronicles and Prophets; and Gospels and Epistles. The daily reading order is reversed during the second half of the year.

A veritable cornucopia of Bible reading plans. And another “ultimate guide” to Bible reading plans in the same spirit.

Liturgical traditions often have daily Bible reading plans, which are called lectionaries, that track the stages of the church year. Such lectionaries are generally included in the Book of Common Prayer of the liturgical denomination and are integrated with daily devotional services called the Daily Office. The Revised Common Lectionary is widely used, especially in mainline denominations; however, it intentionally omits passages of Scripture that are deemed anti-Semitic, exclusively nationalistic, or “conditioned by the cultural context in which they arose.”

YouVersion. A very popular free mobile app that comes with numerous translations of the Bible (some of which have an audio track) and several Bible reading plans.

Chapter 8: Memorizing Scripture

The story about a Christian camp staff member who memorized entire books of the Bible came from the author’s experience of a senior staff member at Camp Brookwoods in Alton, New Hampshire, named John J. (“Uncle JJ”) Thomassian. Uncle JJ was a public school teacher on Long Island, NY, and memorized long passages of Scripture in the J. B. Phillips translation of the New Testament by balancing his Bible on his knees during rush hour traffic. His memory strategy was to read the passage out loud over and over until it was completely memorized, and then to rehearse the passage frequently for others in order to retain it. The Book of James was a particular favorite of his, which he memorized in its entirety.

A useful handout that describes both why and how to memorize Scripture.

Good passages to memorize for ministry and public prayer purposes are Numbers 6:24-26, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Ephesians 3:20-21, Hebrews 13:20-21, and Jude 24-25 (1:24-25).

Chapter 9: Spiritual Journaling

A handout that describes the SOAP method of Bible reading.

Crossway markets a line of Bibles intended specifically for journaling.

12 recommended books on overcoming sin and temptation.

An alliterative way to remember the three ways in which the devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness: provision, protection, and power.

The Life and Diary of David Brainerd. A very influential spiritual journal, especially for those called to the mission field.

Though it also contains a lot of theology, some consider the Confessions by St. Augustine to be the most important spiritual journal in Christian history. Other well regarded translations are those by Chadwick and Sheed. Electronic editions are available as well (here and here).

Chapter 10: Finalizing the Memorization Process

A presentation slide deck that describes several techniques for effective memorization in general.

The journey method of memorization, a.k.a. the memory palace technique or method of loci.

A popular book on memorization techniques narrated autobiographically, entitled Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by Joshua Foer.

Chapter 11: A Quiet Time in Crisis

Helpful Bible verses during times of crisis.

How to hear from God when you’re in a crisis.

Assurance that God will answer in your crisis.

Chapter 12: Praying Without Ceasing and the Jesus Prayer

Electronic editions of the classic book The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence.

A succinct description of and theological rationale for the Jesus Prayer.

A tri-fold brochure about the Jesus Prayer.

A video about the Jesus Prayer by the author of a popular book on the subject.

Linking the Jesus Prayer to breathing is an example of a spiritual practice known as Breath Prayer. Other Breath Prayers based on Scripture are also possible.

In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, a Prayer Rope (knots generally made from wool) or a Chotki (beads often made from wood) can be used to structure the continual practice of the Jesus Prayer.

Fasting is frequently associated with prayer in the Bible. For example, see 2 Samuel 2:16, Ezra 8:21, Luke 2:37, Acts 13:2-3, and Acts 14:23. Here is an introduction to the practice of fasting.

Prayer at set times during the day: how Pastor Tim Keller prays without ceasing.

The Daily Office is a practice with a long history in the Church, and was created to obey the Biblical command to pray without ceasing. It built on the Jewish custom of praying several times a day (morning, afternoon, and night; cf. Psalm 5:3; Psalm 55:17), which may have been patterned after the morning and evening sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. In the monastic tradition, there are eight set periods of daily prayer in the Divine Office. Here’s an audio version of the Daily Office.

Chapter 13: Teaching Lectio Divina

‘Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise’: Encountering God in Scripture. Ancient wisdom about encountering God in Scripture through the practices of Lectio Divina and the Quadriga. Note that it is popular in some Roman Catholic circles to link the four primary steps of Lectio Divina to the four types of Scriptural interpretation in the Quadriga.

Anthony Daum comments (in a comment to a Facebook post by the author) that “the now standard ‘four steps’ of Lectio Divina come from a monk named Guigo the Carthusian (Guigo II) who wrote a letter to a friend outside of the monastery which is now known as ‘The Ladder of Monks.'” (This letter is also known as “The Ladder of Four Rungs.”) However, the roots of the practice go all the way back to Origen in the third century.

Chapter 14: Practicing Lectio Divina: Prepare and Read

The Prepare step is sometimes called the the Silence step (Silencio).

The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina. How to practice Lectio Divina both alone and in a group. Web page version.

Chapter 15: Practicing Lectio Divina: Reflect

A useful description of Ignatian Contemplation, which lies behind the way that the Reflect step of Lectio Divina is presented in the book—as an exercise in guided visualization along temporal, spatial, or personal lines. Anthony Daum notes (in a comment to a Facebook post by the author) that “before St. Ignatius, [the Reflect step] was more concerned with repeating the text over and over primarily for the purposes of memorization (which, in itself, brought about spiritual change), though this did not exclude a certain amount of intellectual analysis.”

Links to additional resources about Ignatian Contemplation. Links to electronic editions of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, in which Ignatian Contemplation is an integral component, and to a print edition of a well-regarded translation of the Spiritual Exercises.

Chapter 16: Practicing Lectio Divina: Respond, Rest, Act

Resting in the gaze of Jesus as the fourth step of Lectio Divina.

The optional action or application step of Lectio Divina is sometimes called the Incarnation step (Incarnatio).

Lectio Divina as a group exercise.

Meeting God in the Greek New Testament. A Web article written by the author about how to practice Lectio Divina directly from the Greek New Testament.

Chapter 17: Short Version of Lectio Divina from Psalm 19

A video that describes a somewhat different take on the four primary steps of Lectio Divina.

A two-part audio and video exposition of Psalm 19 by Alistair Begg: Part 1; Part 2.

Chapter 18: Biblical Interpretation

“It cannot mean what it never meant” was a favorite saying of Dr. Gordon Fee at Regent College when the author studied with him in the late 1980s.

In addition to the popular Fee and Stuart book in the Further Reading chapter, other good genre-oriented approaches to biblical interpretation include Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible, Third Edition, by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays; For the Love of God’s Word: An Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Andreas Köstenberger and Richard Patterson; Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible, Second Edition, by Leland Ryken; Read the Bible for a Change: Understanding and Responding to God’s Word, by Ray Lubeck; and especially A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules, Second Edition, by Robert H. Stein. For the Old Testament, a helpful guide to genre-based interpretation is Cracking Old Testament Codes: A Guide to Interpreting Literary Genres of the Old Testament, ed. D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese. Books that are dedicated to the interpretation of a single genre also exist, such as Interpreting the Parables, by Craig L. Blomberg; Studying the Synoptic Gospels: Origin and Interpretation, by Robert H. Stein; and The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature, Third Edition, by John J. Collins.

Here is a list of generally applicable biblical interpretation questions compiled by a friend and colleague of the author’s, Josiah Bigelow, for use in Bible studies that he and his wife Shannon lead:

1. Outline the structure of the passage in a way that represents the biblical author’s organization. Please provide an outline that clearly indicates verse breaks for each unit and provide headings for each. (Consider plot—setting, conflict, climax, resolution, and new setting—as well as characters.)
2. What emphasis does the structure reveal?
3. How does the immediate context—the closest passages on both sides of your chosen text—inform the meaning of your passage? (Consider why this passage is in this particular place, then any relevant historical background.)
4. Drawing on your work in structure, emphasis and context, state the central theme of the passage in one complete sentence. (A theme should reveal the biblical author’s big idea or primary teaching point in the passage.)
5. What are a few ways that your passage relates to or anticipates the gospel (i.e., the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, repentance, forgiveness of sins)? Which of these ways best fits your passage? (Consider New Testament references as well as different methods of connecting, such as typology, analogy, promise-fulfillment, biblical theology themes, and others.)
6. In one sentence, what is the biblical author’s aim for his audience in this passage? Given that aim, what implication(s) and/or application(s) might you draw out for yourself?

An extremely helpful presentation by Pastor Chris Olson about How to Study Your Bible and Apply It. Pastor Chris summarizes the three key steps of inductive Bible study as “What?” (Observation and Interrogation); “So What?” (Interpretation/Exegesis); and “Now What?” (Application/Hermeneutics).

Discovery Bible Study. A simple but effective method to begin studying the Bible in groups. Provides a list of suggested Bible passages to explore “life’s big questions.”

Never Read (Just) a Bible Verse. The importance of literary context to proper interpretation.

A site with a helpful set of Bible Study Tools, including an online concordance.

Online access to commentaries for every book of the Bible and other Bible study tools. The commentaries are generally older ones in the public domain.

Well-regarded biblical interpretation books, though from a more scholarly perspective: Biblical Words and Their Meaning, Revised and Expanded Edition, by Moisés Silva; Exegetical Fallacies, Second Edition, by D. A. Carson; and The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Revised and Expanded Edition, by Grant R. Osborne.

Alistair Begg has a memorable quote about interpreting Scripture and discerning truth from error. “In an age of novelty, the main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things.”

The Student, the Fish, and Agassiz. A classic parable that illustrates the vital role of observation in acquiring knowledge and understanding, and how diligently we need to work in order to observe clearly. Applies directly to the study and interpretation of the Bible.

A ten-lesson course on Methods of Bible Study based on the time-honored book by W. H. Griffith Thomas.

A free Biblical Interpretation course from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary on iTunesU. Part of their Dimensions of the Faith series.

Look at the Book is an ongoing series of short videos from John Piper’s Desiring God ministry that focuses on interactive observation and prayerful interpretation of brief passages of Scripture.

The Charles Simeon Trust offers a series of inexpensive online courses that teach a genre-based approach to biblical interpretation.

How to Know God’s Voice. Three criteria for discerning the voice of God, from the daughter of Billy Graham.

Theologically, the activity of the Holy Spirit in helping the original authors produce Scripture is called inspiration, while the activity of the Holy Spirit in helping us interpret and apply what they wrote in Scripture is called illumination. Here’s a helpful discussion of the difference between the two.

Dr. Thomas Constable maintains a series of “Notes” (small commentaries, actually) on every book of the Bible. These are very helpful for laypeople who want an additional level of detail in order to better interpret a passage. For more academic study, Denver Seminary provides extensive annotated bibliographies of scholarly resources for the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Our interpretation of Scripture can be corrected and enriched by reading the Bible with the Church at all times and in all places. What does this mean and how do we do it? The work of Mark Powell is seminal to understanding how culture acts as a filter that affects what we even see in Scripture in the first place. The present author believes that each age and location of the Church inevitably shines a spotlight on certain passages of Scripture and neglects other passages of Scripture, such that only reading the Bible with the Church in all times and places allows the spotlight to fall on all of Scripture, which enables us to be Whole Bible Christians. One way to achieve this is to study how Scripture is interpreted in other areas of the world (which is a synchronic approach) as well as throughout the history of the Church (which is a diachronic approach). The literature for this kind of study is enormous, but the following books are suggested as a starting point. With regard to a synchronous approach, Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World; Mangoes or Bananas? The Quest for an Authentic Asian Christian Theology; African Hermeneutics; and Stony the Road We Trod: African American Biblical Interpretation are enlightening and stretching. With regard to a diachronic approach, Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition: Recovering the Genius of Premodern Exegesis; Reading Sacred Scripture: Voices from the History of Biblical Interpretation; Handbook of Women Bible Interpreters: A Historical and Biographical Guide; and Scripture and Its Interpretation: A Global, Ecumenical Introduction to the Bible are also illuminating and challenging. This last book is also recommended as a good entry point into the entire field of study.

Conclusion: Putting Encounter into Practice

Meeting God in the Bible is a vital component of the larger process of Spiritual Formation.

Please guard against using the book as a source for a “Spiritual Discipline of the Month Club.” Each of the devotional Bible study methods and Spiritual Formation practices can take a considerable amount of time to understand and internalize before it can be effectively practiced, and please give yourself the time for that to happen. The book consists of snapshots of a long-term discipleship process, and the assumption was that Sharon wouldn’t introduce a new practice to Victoria until she felt that Victoria had really gotten the hang of the current practice.  In the author’s case, it took him a long time to understand and internalize Lectio Divina before he could practice it effectively; yet that is now his preferred devotional Bible study method because it is strong where he is weak.

In addition, please don’t get the impression based on the way the book is organized that Quiet Times are for new believers, Spiritual Journaling is for more mature believers, and Lectio Divina is for those who are the most mature in their Christian walk. Each of those devotional Bible study methods can be equally valuable. Since everyone is different, the important thing is to find out which spiritual formation practices work best for you, and which foster the sense that you have truly met God in the Bible and been transformed by the experience.

Prayerfully consider discipling someone yourself, like Sharon did for Victoria.

Two follow-on goals to consider after cultivating the habit of consistently meeting God in the Bible: consistently meeting God in Christian worship, and consistently meeting God in Christian fellowship.

Further Reading

A diverse devotional reading list. Coupled with 25 Books Every Christian Should Read, these two lists could form a lifetime devotional reading plan.

A classic essay by C. S. Lewis about the importance of reading books by Christians who lived in other times and places, and how that expands our conception of the Christian faith and prevents us from becoming prisoners of our own culture.

In addition to the books listed in the bibliography in the Further Reading chapter, the following books are also recommended.

Help! My Bible is Alive!, by Nicole Unice, is a 30-day challenge designed to “bring life back to reading the Bible by helping you personally encounter God through his Word.” It addresses the phenomenon that “[w]e want to experience God through the Bible … But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to make that happen. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to.”

How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions, by Gordon D. Fee and Mark L. Strauss, is a helpful guide to the dizzying variety of existing English Bible translations. If a small working set of complementary translations is desired, the authors recommend the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) from the formal equivalent category, the New International Version (NIV) from the “mediating” category, and the New Living Translation (NLT) from the functional equivalent category.

A book about Biblical Theology as story by James Hamilton, Jr., entitled What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns. The blurb for the book states that “[t]he Bible recounts a single story—one that began at creation, encompasses our lives today, and will continue till Christ’s return and beyond,” and claims that by “[t]racing the key patterns, symbols, and themes that bind the Bible together, this book will help you understand Scripture’s unified message and find your place in the great story of redemption.” The present author contends that Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Glory form the four primary chapters of the story of Biblical theology, and that Lost (Creation, Fall) and Found (Redemption, Glory) is an even higher-level conceptualization.

Study Guide

Suggested questions for the Foreword by Fernando Ortega:

1. How has your own experience in the Church been similar to or different from Fernando’s experience?
2. Was there anything in Fernando’s Foreword that you particularly resonated with? If so, what was it, and why?
3. How might meeting God in the Bible serve as an antidote to damaging or discouraging things that can happen in church?

Additional question for Chapter Two: Victoria’s First Quiet Time:

1. Practice a Quiet Time from Hebrews 12:1-2. Place equal emphasis on all three Quiet Time questions because this short passage is so rich.

Additional questions for Chapter 8: Memorizing Scripture:

1. Practice a Quiet Time in Ephesians 4:17-32. What theme summarizes or unifies this passage? (Hint: Look for this theme in vss. 22-24.) How is this theme evident in the structure of the passage, especially if Ephesians 5:1-21 is included? Which Quiet Time question does this passage make relatively easy to answer, and why?
2. Read Ephesians 4:17-32 in another translation. Which aspects of this passage (if any) does the second translation clarify compared to the first translation you used? Which aspects are less clear?
3. Create an ACTS Prayer based on Ephesians 4:17-32.
4. Memorize the end of the passage, Ephesians 4:31-32. Which memory strategies might prove helpful if your goal were to commit these verses to memory quickly?

Additional questions for Chapter 9: Spiritual Journaling:

1. Practice the SOAP method of Spiritual Journaling on Amos 5:4-24. Focus on vss. 4-15 if you find this passage too long. You may need to consult a study Bible or a Bible Handbook for background about the Book of Amos in general and this passage in particular. Note repeated words in Amos 3:1, 4:1, and 5:1, as well as Amos 5:18, 6:1, and 6:4, to get a sense of the structure of the Book of Amos and how this passage fits in. Identify applications in the Application step that reflect the several interpretive contexts in the passage: the individual; the church (temple/shrine); the city; and the nation. Construct an ACTS Prayer for the Prayer step.
2. Read Amos 5:4-24 in another translation. Compared to the first translation you used, which aspects might it have clarified? Which aspects might it have obscured?
3. Choose a small set of verses from the passage (Amos 5:4-24) to memorize. (Suggestion: vss. 21-24.) Which memory strategies might be most helpful for these verses?

Additional questions for Chapter 11: A Quiet Time in Crisis:

1. Have a Quiet Time in Revelation 21:1-8. Compose an ACTS Prayer based on the passage. How might this passage be a helpful one during a crisis? And in what ways might vs. 8 provide comfort and encouragement?
2. Read Revelation 21:1-8 through in another Bible version. Compare and contrast the two versions.
3. Memorize Revelation 21:1-4. Which memory strategies might be most useful to commit this passage to memory quickly?

Additional capstone question for the Lectio Divina chapters, particularly Chapter 17: Short Version of Lectio Divina from Psalm 19:

1. Practice either an extended or a short version of Lectio Divina from Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer in John chapter 17. Include the optional steps as well. Given the time and place and audience of Jesus’ prayer, the Reflect step can be particularly rich. The Respond step should be relatively easy, since the passage is already a prayer. If you choose the short version of Lectio Divina, which subset of the passage will you focus on, if any?

Additional question for Chapter 18: Biblical Interpretation:

1. Practice the principles of biblical interpretation and hearing God’s voice that Sharon explained to Victoria using the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders in Matthew 7:24-27. Since the Gospel of Matthew is a Synoptic Gospel, include the parallel passage in Luke 6:46-49 in your consideration of literary context. What larger unit is this passage a part of? How does it function in that larger unit? What might explain the differences between the two parallel passages? (As background, note the dizzying variety of proposed solutions to the so-called “Synoptic Problem” and how helpful a Synopsis of the Four Gospels can be when studying the Gospels.) What other passages of Scripture does this passage remind you of? How might you be hearing God’s voice in this passage speaking directly to you? How do you know that it is actually God’s voice?

Suggested questions for Appendix 2: Toward a Biblical Theology of Story:

1. What’s your story? If you are in a group, to the extent you are comfortable, share your story with the group.
2. How might you tell your story as an “elevator speech”? As a testimony in a small group or in a church service? As a blog post? As a short YouTube video?
3. Have you had much experience in telling your story to others? If so, describe an occasion in which you told your story. Who was the audience and what was the result?
4. Is there anyone whose story was particularly influential to you during your life? Why was it influential and how did it influence you?
5. Is there anyone for whom your own story might have been influential? How might it have influenced them?

Appendix 1: Topic Summaries

The suggestion for Appendix 1, which distills the contents of the story in list form, came from the author’s lifelong friend, Brian (“Froofie the Dawg”) Luetchford.

For Latin American Spanish speakers, Nueva Biblia de las Américas (NBLA), which was previously marketed as Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy (NBLH) and even Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana (NBL), may now be a better choice than the translation mentioned in the book, La Biblia de las Américas (LBLA).

A roughly equivalent pairing to the ESV and NIV for Roman Catholic Bible translations is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (RSV-2CE) and the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE). Some would choose the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB) instead of NABRE, because there is no Roman Catholic Bible translation that is a direct equivalent of the NIV. The New Catholic Bible (NCB) occupies a similar space as the RSV-2CE. The ESV is also available in a Catholic edition (ESV-CE).

Suggested secondary Spanish translations are Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV) and the venerable and pervasive Reina-Valera (RVR, generally the 1960 edition). Note that the RVR in its many editions functions as the Spanish equivalent of the King James Version in English. Suggested secondary Roman Catholic translations are the NLT Catholic Reader’s Edition and the Revised New Jerusalem Bible (RNJB). Roman Catholic Spanish Bible translations intended for personal devotions include La Biblia Latinoamericana, Biblia de Jerusalén Latinoamericana, and Biblia de América.

Very few Bible translations are targeted for Orthodox Christianity. Those that are include The Orthodox Study Bible and The Eastern / Greek Orthodox New Testament. Such translations are generally translated entirely from the Greek of the Majority Text.

The New Revised Standard Version (NSRV) is considered the most ecumenical current Bible translation because it is accepted and used by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches. An edition of the ESV that includes the Apocrypha has been published for use in Anglican worship.

The Latin names for the stages of Lectio Divina are listed in its topic summary. If you were trained in a theological tradition in which each of your points were required to alliterate, you could conceive of the stages of Lectio Divina (including the optional ones) as Ready, Read, Reflect, Respond, Rest, and Reify.

A suggested syllabus for how the book can be read and discussed in a 12 to 14 week Sunday School class or a small group.

Appendix 2: Toward a Biblical Theology of Story

Another example of the subversive use of story in the Bible occurs in 2 Samuel 12:1-15a, when the prophet Nathan used a parable to draw King David in and then confront him with the reality of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah the Hittite.

The story-line of the Bible in six acts, which summarizes the same authors’ book The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story.

A somewhat technical article, entitled “Story and Biblical Theology,” about how Biblical Theology is itself a Grand Story.

Andreas Köstenberger has identified several story-based (or metanarrative) approaches to Biblical Theology.

Back Cover and Marketing Info

From the back cover come the characteristics that make this book unique:

“Are you a new Christian who wants to learn how to read the Bible and hear God’s voice? Or are you a more experienced Christian who struggles with meeting God in the pages of Scripture because your head is more engaged than your heart or your hands? Do you long for true intimacy with God, for the sense that God is speaking directly to you through his Word? If so, then this book might be for you. And you’re in good company. 

Meeting God in the Bible through the devotional practices of Quiet Time, Spiritual Journaling, and Lectio Divina is explored almost entirely through story—an extended story of a long-term discipleship process between a pastor’s wife and a new Christian. Other Spiritual Formation practices encountered in the story include prayer, spiritual testimony, overcoming temptation, Scripture memorization, discipleship, and biblical interpretation. God has made us for himself, and we invite you to deepen your journey toward the intimate communion with God that you were created for.”

The Web page for the book on the Fontes Press Web site.

Book release announcement from Fontes Press.

Meeting God in the Bible in Greek and in English too. A book announcement that also references a precursor to the book.

Story: The New Way to Teach Spiritual Disciplines. Story itself is the Back Story of the book.

A Tool Talk podcast interview on 1 October 2019 for Exegetical Tools about academic vs. devotional Bible study in general and the author’s book in particular.

The Daily Office Is Not Enough: The Importance of Reading Scripture Devotionally. An autobiographical book summary in Anglican Compass.

Meeting God in the Bible: A Unique Take on a Common Theme. A book review by Fr. Isaac Rehberg in The North American Anglican.

An Adventures in Theology podcast interview on 14 January 2021 about the author’s book and the craft of storytelling. Two preparatory resources were referred to in the podcast, one from Don Carson, the other from John Piper. Piper’s series is supported by a free study guide and an optional DVD.

About the Author

John M. Linebarger (MDiv, MBA, PhD Computer Science) is an ordained bivocational pastor. By day he is a Computer Scientist and Cloud Solutions Architect at a National Laboratory. By night he moderates a Biblical and Theological Languages forum on a social media site. On the weekends he is a volunteer assistant pastor at an Anglican Church plant in Santa Fe. John lives with his wife and daughter and a menagerie of books in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

How to Order

The book can be ordered from Amazon or directly from Fontes Press. In addition, it is also available on the Logos Bible Software platform. To order from Amazon, click here for the paperback version or here for the Kindle version. Bulk orders at a discounted price are also possible; please contact Todd Scacewater at Fontes Press for details.