A Long Soak

It's been a long winter, and we have had enough snow that the severity of our drought status has been lowered. I love snow, and it's been a lovely season, but we've been ready for spring for a few weeks.

Twice in the past month, I have been blessed to be able to take advantage of some local hot springs. The first time, there was still snow in the air. The second time, it felt like spring; the only telltale signs of the snow were the plow piles we had to climb over in the parking lot.

Both soaks were long and relaxing, even with the children along. The water is delightfully warm and peaceful. It was delightful!

In between my two long soaks, I read an article online about reading God's Word. It used the verb "soak" in reference to spending time in the Bible, as in "We should soak (spend time immersed in) God's Word." I've heard this phrase before, but it never struck me as it did this time.

To soak in God's Word. Not to read it quickly through because you have a commitment to read the Bible in a year (or two or three). Not to read it in small sections in a devotional book. Not to randomly open your Bible and read a page. (Not that there's anything wrong with any of those things!)

But to intentionally linger and dawdle and immerse yourself in a section of the Bible. 

So I decided to try it. I picked the Psalms because I, like many of you, am interrupted a thousand times a day by small humans. Psalms seemed understandable, even with a thousand interruptions. And I began to soak. I am reading, rereading, and rereading two pages a day. I read yesterday's two pages and today's two pages over and over and over. So each two-page segment gets two days of soaking, and on some days I go back to the beginning of the book of Psalms and reread all of the Psalms I've read. Sometimes I read the same small section repeatedly because it catches my attention somehow.

I love soaking. The hot springs are delightful, but God's Word is eternal. Reading the Psalms this way has deepened my love for God's Word. It has increased my understanding of the Psalms. It has focused my attention on God instead of Words with Friends or any other app. I highly recommend soaking.

Amen.