As someone who accepted Jesus Christ as a child, I could
arguably claim that I have a firm grasp of Scripture. In my 34 church-going
years, I have heard and rediscovered the stories contained in the pages of the
Bible, studied the various themes throughout, and spent years listening to
sermons, attending small groups, and working my way through all sorts of devotionals
and Bible studies. Over the years, I have taught Bible lessons in various
forums, memorized Scripture, participated in debates and discussions about
Biblical topics, and read the Bible cover to cover. And yet, the more I dig and study, the more I discover how much
there is still left to learn about God’s holy and inspired Word. I still find
myself saying, “I don’t remember that being in there” or “Have I read that
before?”
There are very few books that I have ever read more than
once in my life. Regardless of how much I love a certain book, I rarely return
to it. For one, books are time-consuming. I would rather invest those hours of
my life exploring a new world rather
than return to one I already know. And yet, I always find the Bible is the
greatest exception to this unspoken, self-imposed rule. No matter how many
times I read a passage, God’s goodness and love and faithfulness and mercy and
grace hold some greater measure of understanding and application than they did
before. That is what makes the Bible so
unique and what allows God’s Word to be living and active in our lives.
Just recently, a series called “The Bible” has been airing
on the History Channel. This series has received world-wide acclaim. There are
churches that are not only encouraging their congregations to watch it, but
hosting “viewing parties” for their members. As one that can be a bit skeptical
about Hollywood’s “take” on Biblical events, I was interested to watch and
discern what aspects were true and which were fabricated for entertainment
purposes. What a great challenge it has been to test what I really know and use
my Bible as a tool to verify or dispute the movie’s portrayals.
Some scholars have devoted their whole lives to reading and
studying God’s Word. Let's face it. It is easy sometimes to get intimidated by others who know
so much more than we do. We may be tempted to just leave the studying and the
digging to them. Let us not be satisfied with just knowing the stories. Let us
ask questions and dig deeper ourselves. What an amazing journey we are missing out on
if we do not make this effort, asking God to give us wisdom and understanding
as we read.
James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to
you.”
I Corinthians 2:10, “These are the things God has revealed
to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of
God.”
Whether you have been a Christian for many years or whether
the Word of God is a new world you are just beginning to explore, I hope you
are struck anew, as I am, at how much there is still left to learn. May it be the desire of your heart, as it is mine, to jump in
and dig deeper, and see what God will show you.
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