I just came back from my personal retreat. Now, I am rested, refreshed and renewed. It was awesome reading through the whole NT again. There were a lot of insights as the Holy Spirit was speaking through God’s Word (you will probably hear about them in the near future). When I was younger in my faith, I wondered about what would happen after reading through the whole Bible. I thought it was like reading a book – once you finish the book, you already know the plot, the characters and the ending so why do we have to read it again and again.
But over the years I realized that as our lives go through changes, God’s Word (which is unchanging and eternal) speaks to us in a different way. The illustration I think of is the baby stroller phenomenon. Before I got married and had kids, I have never really paid attention or even noticed the strollers in the shopping malls. But after getting married and having kids, I realized that they are EVERYWHERE! So the question is: Are there more baby strollers now compared to 10 years ago? Maybe. But, I am guessing that there were many baby strollers back then but I did not have the “experience” to notice the strollers.
In the same way, there are a lot of things that we read in the Bible at different stages of our lives, but we are limited in our understanding. So, as we go from one stage of life to another, we begin to gain a greater perspective and God’s Word speaks to us differently. I think this is why the author of the book of Hebrews says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12).
Now, I cannot read anything in the Bible about the father-child relationship without thinking about my children. Before, it was just head knowledge. I praise God for His living Word. Now, I am off to the Leadership Summit with our church leaders.