Reading Chad Bird–and Listening, too–in 2024

I’ve been reading Chad Bird’s words every day, so far, in 2024.

Who is he?

He describes himself this way: “Chad Bird is a speaker, scholar, writer, and truck driver who weds biblical truth to life experience to help broken people like himself.”

He’s also the scholar in residence at 1517: “Christ for You.”

I listen to his 90-second explanation of an Old Testament passage every morning on “X-Twitter,” and then read a short commentary he wrote on another Biblical passage.

He’s going through a Bible-in-a-year plan on “X-Twitter,” but that’s not what I’m reading.

I’ve got his excellent 365-daily devotional, Unveiling Mercy: Based on Insights from Old Testament Hebrew.

Everyday I learn at least one new thing.

I’m amazed at the parallels, meanings, and concepts I learn from the Bible every single day. Bird’s explanations just enhance the other places God is taking me these days.

Where did I hear of Chad Bird?

I can’t quite remember, but I know it was during the 2023 summer. My former prayer partner may have suggested him.

After visiting her, I flew home and read his memoir on the plane.

Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul caught my attention on Hoopla from the title alone.

Not a long story, I read the entire book on my flight from Idaho to California.

As soon as I got off the plane, I ordered a paper copy of my own.

I wanted to mark up a book!

What am I learning from Chad Bird?

As a Bible teacher for most of the last 30 years, I’m constantly gaining new insights.

I’ve been reading the Bible almost daily for most of my life–but there’s always something more.

In the last five years, I’ve spent a lot of time in the Old Testament. I’m now on my second reading the Bible-in-a-year.

I’ve long been fascinated by what the Hebrew words really mean. (So, while preparing to teach, I spend a lot of time with Strong’s Concordance trying to fully grasp the Hebrew word meanings).

Every morning, Bird supplies a new Hebrew word–with a fuller explanation of how the word is used, often in both the Old and New Testaments.

Fascinating! (But I’d still like an index in the back, guys, so I wouldn’t always have to hunt up Strong’s!)

A former Hebrew professor at the Lutheran Church Missiouri Synod’s Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Chad Bird brings the theological, Hebrew, and spiritual implications into his word explanations.

So rich. So wonderful.

I appreciate, however, how humble he is as well about his life. As I write this, he posted yesterday:

“I always knew that Jesus died for vile and deeply flawed sinners. It was only later in life that I realized I was in that group.”

Same here. Amen.

Making Jesus real

What I liked about Night Driving was how he reminded me that Jesus understands brokenness–and how how real He is.

Look at this quote:

What I’ve learned to appreciate most about our God of skin and bone is how underwhelming he is. Jesus didn’t walk the streets of Nazareth with his face aglow.

He looked like the guy at Walmart you push your cart past on the way to get milk. He was no head turner . . . [see Isaiah 53:2]. Maybe Jesus was ugly, or fat, or had bad teeth. He wasn’t GQ material.

He was the kind of God you could miss, because he hid in plain sight, as a regular Joe–finally even as a convicted criminal sentenced to die.”

Night Driving p 47.

That’s the Jesus I worship.

Amen, again.

But always pointing me back to the God I worship

I suggest you look up Chad Bird on “X-Twitter” and find out for yourself.

See how he makes God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit feel closer and more wonderful to understand.

Hopefully, Bird’s insights will increase and encourage your faith, just as he’s done mine in 2024.

Thanks, Chad Bird.

Tweetables

Reading Chad Bird–and Listening, too–in 2024. Click to Tweet

Intriguing insights into the Hebrew God of the Bible from a guy on X-Twitter. Click to Tweet