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READING THE BIBLE
The story is told of an
old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with
his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the
kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who
wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you
but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as
I close the book. What good does
reading the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said,
"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of
water."
The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before
he could get back to the house. The Grandfather laughed and said, "You
will have to move a little faster next
time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his Grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket
instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a
basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,"
and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his
Grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would
leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran
hard, but when he reached his Grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket." The
boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the
basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was
clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change
you from the inside out."
That is the work of God in our lives. To change us from the inside out
and to slowly transform us into the image of His Son. Take time to read
a portion of God's Word each day.
------ via. The River
Bend Bulletin, Mar. 4, 2007.
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