Grace Spilled Over

I’ve recently been reading Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity by Mark Batterson. (By the way, I highly recommend the book.) In chapter five of the book, there is a paragraph that deeply resonated with me.

The Bible was written over a span of fifteen hundred years by more than forty writers. God inspired kings and poets and prophets and shepherds. They wrote out of very different personalities in very different circumstances. Some wrote in the plush setting of a palace, while others etched their words during an island exile. Some wrote out of the agony of personal tragedy, while others wrote in the ecstasy of an epiphany. Written in three different languages on three different continents, there is no other book like the Bible. Despite the fact that it touches on thousands of complex subjects and controversial topics, it possesses a supernatural harmony from beginning to end. And it is omnirelevant to every person on the planet.   -Mark Batterson

As I’ve studied books and articles on cultural relevance and the importance of understanding cultural nuances and differences, it has deepened my Awe and Wonder at this amazing book God has given us.

There is no other book ever written that can cross all cultures, all times and speaks so intimately to our human needs, like the Bible.

This excites me and gives me the confidence that when I teach women how to study the Bible, it will speak to them in ways I never could. It will meet them where they are at and will speak as deeply to them as it has to me.

A friend of mine, sent me this note: I feel like one of my best friends is the Christian, Indiana Jones! The amazing thing is that you are not searching for treasure, you are bringing the treasure.

I don’t know about the Indiana Jones part, most of the time I don’t feel very brave or intrepid. It often seems like this mission is WAY-TO-BIG-FOR-ME and it is! But the beautiful part is I don’t carry my message but God’s. I don’t go alone, I go with Him. It’s His mission, His vision, His work! I just get to join with Him and carry this amazing treasure to the lost, the broken, the hurting.

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver. Seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD and you will gain knowledge of God. Proverbs 2.1-5

God has given each one of us this incredible treasure!

In this world of changing values and ideas, of brokenness and pain, of varying cultures and unsettling thoughts, the Bible remains strong and true. We can stand on its wisdom, rely on its truth and carry it with confidence into our changing times. It uplifts, challenges, corrects, meets us right where we’re at; whether we’re rich or poor, literate or illiterate, from Dubai or the slums of Nairobi and has the power to transform lives!

What other book do you know that can do that?!

It is an unending treasure to be explored and a road map to guide us in navigating this ever-changing world.

Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver. Psalm 119.72

May we never take for granted this treasure we hold. May we handle it with care and step confidently into this broken world as we carry His Truth!

Spilling His Grace,

kristi