closed minds and open ones

In the One Year Bible today, something kind of remarkable happens. We read from Luke 18:18-43. Jesus flat out tells His disciples that He is going to be beaten and killed when they reach Jerusalem. And then He tells them very plainly that He will rise again from the dead. And they scratch their heads in puzzlement, because according to Luke, "the significance of His words was hidden from them."

Later, when we get to Luke 24, we'll find a verse that says that Jesus will open their minds so they can understand what He's teaching them.

I'm pretty sure you've felt that way, haven't you? You read the same sentences over and over and you just don't get what they're saying? Or have you ever read a verse in the Bible and you could SWEAR that verse was not there before? Because your mind wasn't open to it yet.

God, through the Holy Spirit (who is also God, of course) opens our minds at the right times for what we need to learn. You can read the same verse 100 times and not really grasp the meaning of it... and then one day you need to hear it, and suddenly the words leap off the page and into your life.

Ask Him. He will open your mind as you read. He'll teach you through His powerful, life changing words that He gives us in the Bible. He will bring His words to life, opening your mind to connect with them like never before. Ask Him, and you'll be amazed what you learn.

God, thank You for opening our minds to Your words.