Annie
Scriptures: Begin at Genesis and keep going
A dusty tome, hidden amongst so many others on the shelves of the world’s libraries. A history of a tiny nation, written over hundreds of years, with genealogies and records of kings and strange beings. Or a well thumbed, often read and deeply treasured personal possession, kept in a secret hiding place in lands where reading it could mean imprisonment or even death. A book, or a library within itself, 66 books within one cover. Yes, all of these but so much more. Not just a history book, or a family tree, or a portrayal of great adventures and amazing miracles. This Book, our Bible, has been written for one purpose and one purpose alone, to reveal Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Salvation for all humankind, the Word made flesh.
Realising this has the potential to totally change the way that we read, particularly, the Old Testament. I have always loved the bits of the Old Testament that I recognised as relating to our Messiah, yet I think I need to do a lot more exploring to find out what I have been missing all these years. When I began thinking about this, I did what has become so normal in these days, I delved into what transpired to be about a million opinions right at my fingertips, I went online and tentatively began searching. My search led me to so many catch phrases for how Jesus appears in each book of the Bible, both the Old and New Testatments. I have to admit, my inate skepticism took a bit of a back seat. Most of what I came across checked out, but it has prompted me to set myself a bit of a challenge for next year. I want to see for myself what God wants me to find in each book that paints a picture of Jesus Christ. After all, the Word became flesh for us all to seek Him and find Him for ourselves, not simply follow someone else’s lead.
This in itself is a challenge, seeking God from our heart, reaching out for illumination and inspiration straight from Him. As we take on this exciting journey, we have to be aware of the warnings in scripture to allow ourselves to be corrected if we do take a wrong turn or stray in our seeking. The first stage of the journey has to be the attitude that we have in taking these steps; it is a balancing act between approaching God with the confidence that He hears us and will guide us, along with the humility to know that He is God and we are not. Pride has no place in God’s kingdom, our boast is in Him alone, His wisdom, His insight, His desire for us to search the scriptures to enhance our relationship with Him, not for the sake of knowledge alone.
Our wonderful Father God sent us His one and only Son to live among us, to become human, and to fulfill all that had been revealed and written about Him to the nation of Israel. He came to be our victorious Saviour, He defeated death for all who will turn aside from their stubborn ways and surrender to Him. He gives everlasting Life with no pain, no sorrow, no sickness and no death to all who believe and know that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. To allow Him to open our eyes and see how His character is portrayed in each book of our Bible, is a privilege and joy beyond measure. To see the immensity of what God did in laying the whole story before us and being Emmanuel, God with us, is a treasure that this world can never match.
Prayer: Abba Father, may we ever seek Your Truth, may we find You in each and every book of our Bible and rejoice in the discovery as we grow closer to You, our Creator and Lord. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
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