Jesus is in town, and I have a chance with a few others to spend some time with Him.
We’re sitting by the lake, in a comfortable shaded spot, and we pull out our bibles.
The reading for the day is Joshua 15… uggh, a boring list of land allotments.
I would rather deal with Psalm 23, or 1 Corinthians 13, or maybe something from Revelations.
What can I learn from Joshua 15, can God really have a lesson for me there?

We read the passage out, a few verses each, stumbling over some of the names.
Then Jesus looks at us with a smile and asks, ‘so what lessons can we learn from this?’
One of us begins to suggest that maybe this is not the best passage to work with, but Jesus smiles again and assures us that He is here too, that God is speaking here also, that there is a message here for each one of us.

Eventually some of us start suggesting some possible lessons:
1. God always keeps His promises, if He promises land, He will deliver.
2. God is preparing the way for the promised messiah, working centuries in advance to prepare a place for the messiah to be born, to bring salvation, to restore God’s kingdom.
3. This land allotment is an anticipation of the day when the whole creation will be restored to God’s family.
4. In this time before the final restoration, there will always be challenges or problems (the Jebusites) that will not be dislodged, that we must resist and stand firm against.
5. God has a place and a purpose for each one of us, somewhere in the world.

Now, says Jesus, which one of these lessons do you sense the Spirit stirring in your heart.
For me the last one stands out, it connects with where I am at right now.
As I think about it, I see a line added to Joshua 15 saying that “the allotment for Norman Sennema was downtown Ajax, in particular Falby Court and the surrounding neighbourhoods.”
God has a place and a purpose for me, my territory where He calls me to represent and serve Him.
This is the part of the kingdom where I am called, my allotment in the kingdom.

The Spirit affirms this lesson within my heart, I am both encouraged to know that I have a place and a purpose, as well as challenged to take that place and purpose seriously.
Just as Judah had his place and purpose in God’s unfolding kingdom purpose, so do I.
And if God set this up centuries before the messiah was born, what could God be preparing through me in this area, years or decades or centuries from now?
Jesus looks at me, and nods, ‘Yes, I have a place and purpose for you… follow me’.

——

I believe that this is how Jesus taught His disciples, through a conversational reflection on scripture and life.
I believe that this can happen every time we read the bible, whether it is a boring list of names, or a familiar Psalm.
I believe that the Spirit is stirring in our hearts every time we read a portion of scripture, and that the Lord has a lesson for us to learn, to take hold of and to apply.
I could say, ‘Pretend you are with Jesus when you read the bible’, but it is not something you have to pretend.
He is with you, He is speaking to you, His Spirit is stirring in your heart.
Take time to read the bible with Jesus, and to pay attention to how His Spirit is stirring in you.
Don’t just spend time with the book, spend time with the author of the book.
You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. [John 5:39-40]