Issue 1,014 – Elementary – March 27, 2023
Saturday, I completed my Lenten goal of speed reading through the Bible cover to cover with highlighting some key concepts. Having done that, I will grab a different translation and read through it at a pace that allows more time for meditation and study.
Certainly, in reading it through that quickly, I missed out on much, but it was an excellent overview of the big picture. Most of us can quickly become bogged down in reading select Scriptures and forget about the whole.
I read many things besides the Bible and theology books. Many of you will know that I am a huge fan of mystery novels, detective stories, movies and television shows along those themes. Ever since I began to read, I have enjoyed a good who-dun-it. I have been blessed by Holmes and Watson, Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Columbo, Cadfael and many more modern detectives and police officers.
The Scriptures speak of a great mystery. The word “mystery” appears more than two dozen times in the Scriptures, often referring to God’s plans, particularly the gospel.
The Bible sets up the question about the mystery, but like a good detective novel, it also gives us the answer. The answer to the mystery has never been truly hidden. However, the clues were revealed along the way, wrapped up in increasingly specific prophecies and places where God clearly intervened in history through both natural and supernatural events.
The Bible also contains the phrase, “and then you will know that I am God,” or variations on that theme dozens of times.
The mystery lies in the question, “what I do to be saved?” The answer is in God’s revelation of Himself and His plan that faith can save us. It’s actually quite elementary; even a child can figure it out. At the same time, it is so deeply profound and life-changing that people can expend a lifetime of study on minor components of the story.
God has revealed Himself so we can know Him and His expectations of us. Once that knowledge has laid our soul bare before Him and in need of rescue, we can also see He has provided the only way.
John writes some things in the latter part of his gospel that are specific to that book, but I think they also make a superb commentary of the Scriptures as a whole.
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31
This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:24-25
The Bible could have contained much more detail, but God knew how much we needed to know. He has given us the desire to find Him and provided the clues so we can do that.
Someone can turn to Christ for salvation without knowing most of what the Bible proclaims. In truth, few people have read the Bible cover to cover, even after belonging to Christ for most of their lives.
It is their loss. God reveals so much about himself and His plans for us in the pages of his written revelation that we are poorer for not having read it.
Reading the Word doesn’t make you better than someone who hasn’t read it. God doesn’t rate us on how someone else is doing. Reading the Word helps you understand more and deepens your relationship with the One who loves you, reveals Himself, and saves you.
May you make reading the Word a regular part of life and be drawn ever closer to its author.
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
__________________________________________
Please like and share this post with friends and your circle of influence. Also, feel free to comment.
Did you know that we have an email version? Same great content but in a different format. Subscribe today https://mailchi.mp/f27bbeb09c22/ gleanings-1
_____________
We also have a website
https://gleaningsfromtheword.com
______________________________
All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
___________________________________________
#Gleanings #theWord #devotional #gospel #death #encouragement #Biblestudy #faith #dailyBible #verseoftheday #grace #KevinCorbin #god #life #GleaningsFromTheword #bible #Jesus #faith #christian #love #Christ #Father #Holyspirit #YHWH #yahweh #Jehovah #bibleverses #jesuschrist #bornAgain #church #prayer #theology #trinity #christianity #scripture #hope #truth #cross #mystery #Holmes #Watson #Cadfael #Columbo #Poirot #Marple #whodunit #detective #Biblereading #Lent #John20 #John21 #revelation #clue