It's All In The Details - Lynn Dove

As a writer, I tend to constantly strive to put as much detail into an article as I can.  I don't want my reader to misinterpret or misunderstand my intent and I'm not one for leaving anything to my reader's imagination.  That's not always a good thing, I'll admit that, especially when I write to a young adult audience. Being detailed is one thing, but readers should also be allowed to add their own "spin" based on their own experiences to fully appreciate and connect with a piece of writing.  Sometimes adding too much detail has left my readers cold.  So, I'm learning to write with more balance between detail and allowing the reader to use their imagination to fill in some of the blanks.  That said, I have discovered in reading Scripture, however, the Lord was all about the details!

I am constantly amazed by the complexity and purposefulness of Scripture.  The writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, captured the imagination of their listeners and readers, not by the withholding of detail, but by the meticulous telling of each story, event and Word spoken by the Lord.  For example:
Moses was given very specific, detailed instructions by God on how to build the Tabernacle, the Ark (of the Covenant), the Table, and the Lampstand that were to be put in the Tabernacle in Exodus 25.  God's intricate architectural specifications and furniture designs were to be followed to the letter.  Nothing was left to chance.

As I become more and more familiar and enthralled with the study of it, I come to realize that not one Word in the Bible is used frivolously or without purpose.  God pieces together each word, phrase, line, and story so that they masterfully interweave and connect without error or misinterpretation. The joy is in reading a passage of Scripture over and over again, and having the Lord reveal something new and thought-provoking each time.

I am reading the Passion of Christ in the Book of Matthew and Mark this Easter season, and focusing on the details this year.  I am not just reading the Story itself, but reading how Jesus' Great Sacrifice for us, was foretold in great detail in the Old Testament first.  We have the benefit of having both the Old and New Testaments to see how God's plan of salvation for us was in His heart from the very beginning of time.  We cannot merely read the New Testament, without reading how the prophets wrote about the coming Messiah in their writings.  It adds the extraordinary and profound context and detail to the Easter Story!

As you celebrate the Easter season with your friends and family, ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you even more than He has done previously, by reading once again the familiar Passion story and focus particularly on the glorious Resurrection.  Read it anew and immerse yourself in the details and be blessed!

Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and at lynndove.com