Every single one of us has a story. The stories of our lives are varied and interesting. In some ways, these stories really tell a lot about who we are, what has shaped us, and help explain why we are the person that we happen to be. Stories carry a great deal of meaning, and convey much when we tell others about our stories.
If you've spent any time at all reading the Bible, you also have noticed that it is filled with stories. Those stories form and shaped the people of the Bible, just as they continue to form and shape us today. We hear the stories about our ancestors in the faith, and some of those stories really resonate with us. We hear other stories, and they don't really impact us all that much. Some stories that we hear teach us something, and others, well, we might not know exactly what to make of them.
But all stories have meaning. Sometimes our challenge in approaching the Bible is discerning the meaning behind the stories we read there. Some of these stories seem pretty easy to understand. We read the story of the Good Samaritan, and we're encouraged to help others in need. But even when we come across a story that seems to be easy to understand, such as this one, we're often confronted by an even deeper meaning.
For example, let's go back to that story of the Good Samaritan. It sure does seem to be a story about stopping to help others in their needs. That's actually biblical, too. We're told to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we see God speaking a lot about this. And there are times in our lives where we need that encouragement or exhortation. If we cannot seem to find opportunities to love our neighbors, a story such as this one reminds us that we probably are missing quite a few of these, just like the Levite and the priest.
However, as in so many of the stories of the Bible, there's an even deeper meaning. For a moment, think about yourself as the one on the ground, beaten and robbed and left for dead. Who stopped by to pick you up? None other than our Lord Jesus Himself. Who paid the full price for your recovery to health (and by health, I mean fully restored you to the Father)? None other than Jesus Himself. Who has promised to come back and take care of anything else that might come up along the way, and who will cover all of your continued care? None other than our Lord Jesus Himself.
At first glance, that meaning of the story might not jump out at us. That's why it's so good for us to remember that we can never fully plumb the depths of everything the Bible teaches. On top of that, it can be challenging at times to put into words the meaning of the stories. We tend to like bullet points much more. But as you engage in God's Word, enjoy the stories. Take them to heart. Seek the meaning that is there, and ask the Lord to continue to deepen your understanding of the level of meaning that He shares with you in His stories.
If you've spent any time at all reading the Bible, you also have noticed that it is filled with stories. Those stories form and shaped the people of the Bible, just as they continue to form and shape us today. We hear the stories about our ancestors in the faith, and some of those stories really resonate with us. We hear other stories, and they don't really impact us all that much. Some stories that we hear teach us something, and others, well, we might not know exactly what to make of them.
But all stories have meaning. Sometimes our challenge in approaching the Bible is discerning the meaning behind the stories we read there. Some of these stories seem pretty easy to understand. We read the story of the Good Samaritan, and we're encouraged to help others in need. But even when we come across a story that seems to be easy to understand, such as this one, we're often confronted by an even deeper meaning.
For example, let's go back to that story of the Good Samaritan. It sure does seem to be a story about stopping to help others in their needs. That's actually biblical, too. We're told to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we see God speaking a lot about this. And there are times in our lives where we need that encouragement or exhortation. If we cannot seem to find opportunities to love our neighbors, a story such as this one reminds us that we probably are missing quite a few of these, just like the Levite and the priest.
However, as in so many of the stories of the Bible, there's an even deeper meaning. For a moment, think about yourself as the one on the ground, beaten and robbed and left for dead. Who stopped by to pick you up? None other than our Lord Jesus Himself. Who paid the full price for your recovery to health (and by health, I mean fully restored you to the Father)? None other than Jesus Himself. Who has promised to come back and take care of anything else that might come up along the way, and who will cover all of your continued care? None other than our Lord Jesus Himself.
At first glance, that meaning of the story might not jump out at us. That's why it's so good for us to remember that we can never fully plumb the depths of everything the Bible teaches. On top of that, it can be challenging at times to put into words the meaning of the stories. We tend to like bullet points much more. But as you engage in God's Word, enjoy the stories. Take them to heart. Seek the meaning that is there, and ask the Lord to continue to deepen your understanding of the level of meaning that He shares with you in His stories.
No comments:
Post a Comment