Name a Bible character you resonate with and why.

I have always liked Ruth. I admire her courage to take risks to follow Naomi, not only for her affection for her mother-in-law, but also because she was attracted to Naomi’s God. She was persistent in her efforts to survive, wily and obedient in attracting Boaz (the means of her and Naomi’s survival as women), and honoured for her character by God in eventually bearing a son in the line of David, and therefore Jesus.

At different times in my life I have taken risks, and clung to God. I believe firmly in the significance of intentional friendship, of the sort demonstrated by Naomi and Ruth. I am a survivor in spite of setbacks and struggles. I have a strong relationship with God, which may seem unconventional in normal church culture, but I feel God’s pleasure.

Where do you read the Bible?

Wherever and whenever. I read the verse of the day as one of my first actions on waking. If I have time in the morning I read my planned reading. If not, I read during a break in the day.

What’s one thing from the Bible that’s stuck in your brain at the moment?

I have been musing on 1 Peter 2, and the way that Peter moves effortlessly from a magnificent description of the new people of God under a new covenant, to the way to live as Christians in a pagan society. It seems a seamless connection of Sunday to Monday, and incredibly relevant to our context.

Name one part of the Bible you keep coming back to again and again, and why.

I love the Psalms. They help me to express emotions I feel but am unable otherwise to articulate; and they bring those emotions and thoughts captive to God.

Describe one of your Bible reading failures and what you learned.

I tried to memorise Scripture using the Navigator’s model. It ended up making me feel horribly guilty, and made me dread reading God’s Word. I realised that I needed to find what worked for me: something more creative and less regimented.

What advice would you give someone struggling to read the Bible each day?

Pray that God would make his Word attractive to you, that it would come alive, and that you would hunger and thirst for nourishment in His Word. Then ask someone to help you be accountable for the reading.

And just for fun, if you were a monster what would be your defining feature?

My desire to give hugs, whether or not they were appreciated.

Tell us about your Bible habits, inspirations and failures, here.