Okay, it's time to face a fact that we don't often want to admit, but the sentiment tends to be there nevertheless. There are parts of the Bible that are more fun to read than others. I've talked to several people who decided to start reading the Bible from front cover to the end. They usually get through Genesis and the early parts of Exodus before getting bogged down. And by the time they hit Leviticus, well, let's just say that they start looking forward to stories rather than lists of "do's" and "don't's".
I can also remember a brief skit I did a number of years ago. It was poking a little fun at how we maintain our interest in our times of worship. One of the characters in the skit was a lady who had a tendency to fall asleep. The evidence? She was discovered with her Bible open to the book of 1 Chronicles! Yes, that really exciting book about the lists of kings. Who wouldn't want to read that with a great deal of fascination, right?
Yes, there are some aspects of history that are less, shall we say, enjoyable than others. And yes, that seems to go for the Bible as well. It also goes for our own personal and corporate lives of faith. There are parts of our faith lives that we'd rather ignore or forget about. And then, there are those times that really stand out to us. We live to retell them. We love to share those stories.
Knowing our history can indeed be a powerful thing. One of the things that God told His people after He had freed them from Egypt was to teach the story of the history of the exodus to each generation. They were take the dedicated time each year and retell the story. Their history defined much about who they were as God's people. They were not to forget what God had done for them through their ancestors.
Now, I could easily cause us to feel guilty about the lack of our knowledge of the history of our faith, and that's not what I'm driving at. Instead, I'd rather point out that there is a great benefit to making an intentional effort to know our history. It tells us about what God has done for us. It helps us see how God has chosen to work in the past, and may give us some guidance into where He continues to lead us. And it can help us understand some of the relationships that exist between us and others of God's people, and how they came to be what they are.
History influences us, often in ways we don't fully know or understand. That's part of the reason why I think it's important for us to know about our history. When we see where we have been, it can give us reassurance in our faith. It can give us clues as to where God's Spirit is guiding us. And it can remind us of God's faithfulness to us at all times. All great things, if you ask me.
I can also remember a brief skit I did a number of years ago. It was poking a little fun at how we maintain our interest in our times of worship. One of the characters in the skit was a lady who had a tendency to fall asleep. The evidence? She was discovered with her Bible open to the book of 1 Chronicles! Yes, that really exciting book about the lists of kings. Who wouldn't want to read that with a great deal of fascination, right?
Yes, there are some aspects of history that are less, shall we say, enjoyable than others. And yes, that seems to go for the Bible as well. It also goes for our own personal and corporate lives of faith. There are parts of our faith lives that we'd rather ignore or forget about. And then, there are those times that really stand out to us. We live to retell them. We love to share those stories.
Knowing our history can indeed be a powerful thing. One of the things that God told His people after He had freed them from Egypt was to teach the story of the history of the exodus to each generation. They were take the dedicated time each year and retell the story. Their history defined much about who they were as God's people. They were not to forget what God had done for them through their ancestors.
Now, I could easily cause us to feel guilty about the lack of our knowledge of the history of our faith, and that's not what I'm driving at. Instead, I'd rather point out that there is a great benefit to making an intentional effort to know our history. It tells us about what God has done for us. It helps us see how God has chosen to work in the past, and may give us some guidance into where He continues to lead us. And it can help us understand some of the relationships that exist between us and others of God's people, and how they came to be what they are.
History influences us, often in ways we don't fully know or understand. That's part of the reason why I think it's important for us to know about our history. When we see where we have been, it can give us reassurance in our faith. It can give us clues as to where God's Spirit is guiding us. And it can remind us of God's faithfulness to us at all times. All great things, if you ask me.
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