Over the past few days, we have been blessed to have temperatures well above seasonal norms. Things are budding out everywhere. In protected areas, spring bulbs are blooming. Pussy willows are making a strong appearance.
Starting today and for the next week, the forecast is rain. Normal temperatures, no frost in sight, but rain. Some days, non-stop rain, others off and on, and finally, occasional showers.
I confess I found myself mumbling about the change when I read the forecast. As thought occurred to me, “How did you think all that new growth is going to get watered?”
In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus used rain as a metaphor for His love and grace.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 ESV
He pours his love and grace out even on those who hate him. The Lord doesn’t hate sinners. He loves us all and blesses us all more than we deserve. It’s simply that sin cannot be in the full presence of a holy god, so those who reject His mercy suffer the consequences.
When the rain comes and when the sun shines, it can remind us of the vastness of His grace and mercy. It reminds us that He’s raining mercy, or in the lyrics of a popular song, there are “showers of mercy and grace, falling on every face.”
I don’t know what storms you face today (literal or metaphorical). I don’t know whether you have sun, rain, or snow in your forecast. I do know that God loves you and wants to bless you.
If you know Him already, rejoice that He cared enough to save you. If you don’t yet know Him, set aside your pride and run to His open arms.
The university library was massive. Shelves of books on virtually every imaginable topic (and many that I have never conceived of) from every possible perspective on the issues. A person could read there for their entire lifetime and never put even a dent in the total number of books.
Fortunately, I wasn’t interested in reading all the topics. Some areas held no interest whatsoever for me. Others, I don’t have the expertise to even begin to decipher or understand. For example, I’ve never been able to grasp the fundamental concepts behind simple differential/integral calculus, so any book on that topic, or any topic that uses that knowledge as a foundation, would be beyond me.
The foreign language section would be beyond my grasp. I took some French in high school and university, but to be generous, it’s rusty. I can make out the occasional phrase in Latin, German, and Spanish, but I would not say I can speak any of those languages. I can say I don’t “speak the language” in French, German, Spanish, and several other languages.
I headed towards the seminary section of the library, looking for the topics I was interested in researching. Again, there was a bewildering array of books. For example, there were hundreds of biographies on Jesus (and I know they only have a sampling) some of which start with the belief that the Bible is true (as do I) and others which believe that there is no truth in the Bible at all.
Theological perspectives from the extreme liberal to the middle of the road, and from the ultra-conservative to the wildly charismatic, and from the frozen chosen to the chosen were available to read on many topics. Heretics and orthodox authors occupied the same shelves.
The topic of God, the claims of Jesus, and the path to salvation. These are some of, perhaps even the most vital issues of all. It’s no wonder that so many books have been written on these subjects.
Some people look at all those books and think, “Why should I read the Bible?” If the “experts” can’t agree, why should I even try? Some denominations or congregations even try to maintain control by encouraging this point of view.
The Bible is an incredible book. It contains truths so simple that a young child can understand them. It contains truths so vast that theologians have been arguing for thousands of years over the interpretations. If you are a believer, you have a built-in guide to help you understand the truth (Holy Spirit).
If you’re not a believer, no matter how much you read, you will never truly understand Scripture. Yet I know of many cases where people who weren’t believers, but had open, honest, searching hearts, asked God to reveal Himself to them when they read the Word, and He did.
I have thousands of hours of Bible reading and study under my belt. I have thousands of hours of reading commentaries, dictionaries, and other Bible-related books. I still have only begun to tap into the wealth of knowledge the Bible contains. There is more wisdom and truth in the Bible than in all the books in the university library for the person who will earnestly seek it.
I’ll never know it all, but with a little reading, anyone can sit down and learn through the Bible that Jesus loves them and will save them if they only ask. It will teach you what God is like and what He wants from us. It will teach you, rebuke you, correct you, and embrace you, if you will only open the covers and begin to read it.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Not sure where to begin reading your Bible? There are many plans available for daily Bible reading (we even have one on our website). Here’s one I recommend to people
Read the Gospel of John through two or three times
Read the four gospels through twice. By this point, you’ll have a good idea of who Jesus is.
Read the New Testament through twice. You’ll have a good basic knowledge.
Follow this by reading all of Scripture through from Genesis to Revelation.
Repeat…Repeat… Repeat
Reading twenty minutes a day will enable you to read through the whole Bible in a year. Reading a book a day will get you through cover to cover in 66 days.
Don’t worry that you don’t understand it all at once. No one does. You will find, though, that every time you gain new wisdom and insights. The more time you spend in the Word, the more you will realize how important it is and the more you will want to do it. Don’t be discouraged, it’s often hard to make new habits. If you slip, just pick it up again and keep on going.
Until next time, don’t be intimidated. Read the Bible. God had written a wonderful love letter to you within the pages of that book. He’s waiting for you to read it.
