Crave 2024

Dear Friend:
Along the way in my faith journey, I developed what I think is best described as a craving for Scripture. This is a bit miraculous in that I spent my high school and college years as a “minimum amount required” type of reader and traveled deep into my adult life as, at best, a casual reader. I had always had an intrigue with the Bible, but it took a perfect storm of events to help me see the Bible as not so much a book to read (and thus barely read), but a love letter to be savored layer by layer, bite by bite. I began to see the Bible as a compendium of special words that God inspired and collected and arranged especially for me (and everyone else, of course) as one He loves. As I began to experience this love letter in a new way it really did seem to be a letter written specifically to me. He had given me these special words to absorb, to let these words connect and meld and well up in me and cause me to do something: maybe show mercy, gain courage, claim peace, love better, rest in assurance…or maybe just go “wow.” I can say that this craving not only changed the trajectory of my life, but it has preserved my life. So, I’m wondering if you might want to apply some effort to explore a craving for Scripture, to develop a desire for your Bible time as much as you desire a salty/sweet snack, to experience the words of Scripture as collected and arranged especially for you, too. If so, please join me with this CRAVE effort in experiencing Scripture as the love letter that it is.

How This Works:

1. Bookmark this page

Then simply download the PDF for the exercise and do the exercise on your device or print it off to take to a place of solitude. Each session is a 20-30 minute personal retreat. Some sessions are experiential. Others are a bit more instructional. But in all cases, you’ll be spending time in God’s Word that will leave you wanting more.

2. Self-Guided

You can work at your own pace. I would suggest doing one to two sessions per week. Part of the goal here is to encourage the development of holy habits. Experts might call this “behavior modification.” When I think of modifying behavior, I can’t think of a better life discipline to modify than time with God’s Word.

3. Walking Alongside

It is a privilege to come alongside anyone who found their way to this page. Feel free to reach out to me for questions, concerns, additional help, sharing personal epiphanies, or anything else.

Barry Shafer

barry@inword.org

 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.    –1 Peter 2:2-3