February 3, 2023
Open my eyes, Lord and let me see what You want me to see. Help me share the Jesus I see in the Scriptures. Give me the right words to tell others more about You. In Jesus Name. Amen
Ok, first, I want to tell you that I am just a little bit nervous about putting myself out here on the web. I’m not sure just how often I will be posting. Once or twice a week, or more, depending on response and how the Spirit leads. If I get too wordy, tell me and I will pare it down some. I also want you know a little bit about me. My name is Pamela. I am 5’6”, with blue eyes and brown hair with lots of gray in it. (I earned every bit of it, thank you. Just ask my son.) The rest changes without notice. I’ll tell you up front I never dreamed, when I was in college, that I wouldn’t use my studies in creative writing until 45 years after graduation. My Creative Writing professor and mentor would say, “About time!”
I’d like to tell you just a little bit about where this came from. I’ve tried many times to just read the Bible through but never completed it in a year. I don’t know about anyone else, but just reading it doesn’t do it for me. I have to understand what it says, what it means and how it leads to Jesus. This year I’m determined to read the Bible through. However, I may not make it because, since the first of the year, I have only gotten as far as Genesis 28 (as of today January 28, 2023) and this is why. When I began reading in Genesis, I was struck by just how many times Jesus was reflected in those Scriptures. Some are very bold pictures and some you might need to read between the lines to see it. Jesus Christ is reflected there. In the actions of God Himself, or what humans did in response to God. Some chapters will be people following the leading of God and some a foreshadowing of Jesus. Jesus is everywhere in the Old Testament. It points directly to Him.
Then, it hit me, the desire to write what I see of Jesus in the Old Testament. I need to tell you up front that I am no theologian nor am I a preacher. I’m just a follower of Jesus Christ and His Father, God. When I was 16, I had a vision; maybe it was a dream. In the 51 plus years since then, I have never forgotten it. I was standing in front of a large crowd. I couldn’t see any faces but I was sharing what was on my heart. I realize now God has been preparing me for this ever since. I’m being directed to share what I see in the Bible to that faceless crowd. In the words that have come down to us from the beginning of time, I’m seeing Christ in the Old Testament in ways I’ve never seen before. I want to share with you the Jesus I see in Scripture.
As a kid, I spent many afternoons and evenings talking with my dad. Not because I wanted to, mind you, but because I asked a simple yes or no question. I mean, really, who takes an hour (or more) to answer an easy question like, “Do you think dinosaurs were on the ark?” For Pete’s sake, I was only 6. But as the years passed, those questions grew deeper and the discussions longer. I miss those days. Daddy has gone Home and Mom has too. I miss them both very much but I miss being able to discuss the Bible, God and Jesus with him even more. Daddy used to say that the Bible is the story of salvation from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21. Daddy also told me that the Bible was history and not only is it history, it is His Story.
I’m going to go chapter by chapter and sometimes just parts of a chapter and share with you what I see. The good, the bad and the ugly. I am not going to gloss over the difficult parts of some of the stories in the Bible, because even in them we can find hope, restoration, forgiveness, healing and transformation. In them we can see God at work refining and polishing His creation. We can see God work when man has made wrong choices, then see how God turns it around for His Glory, as He turns tragedy into hope.
I’ve read books about the Bible and what’s in it. I test what I have read against God’s word. If it doesn’t match up, I go with God’s word. I will share some of what I have read too. I see news articles all the time about this artifact or that artifact which has been found by archeologists that prove that something or someone was an actual event or person in Scripture. In fact, on the MSN home web page earlier this month, archeologists found a stele that had a reference to King David of the Israelites. It’s not a vague reference either, it very specifically spelled out King David’s name and not just once. Archeology is proving that the Bible is truth. Science is too.
Science is finding proof of biblical events. DNA can now trace lineages as far back as Noah and Adam. I’ve read that DNA science been able to trace humankind as far back as Eve. I came across a book about how DNA has helped Jewish people trace their family trees. I’ll talk more about that in a later post. Archeology is finding proof of the places mentioned in the Bible. The pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the paralyzed man who lay by its waters was found a few weeks after Daddy died in 2005. I believe that one day, the Ark of the Covenant will be found. I believe I may know where it could be found (based on a book about an amateur archaeologist) because what is written in that book makes more sense than any tales of other locations of the Ark. I also believe it will be found in God’s timing not ours.
I believe that everything in the Bible is true! It is being proven by science, archaeology and research. It has been proven in my own life by the things God has done in my life and the lives of my family and friends. I’ve been to that moment when, at the veil between life and death, eternity was but one breath away, and came away knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that God does exist and that Jesus Christ is His Son, who gave His own life’s blood to cover my sin and the sins of all who believe is alive and working on our behalf. No one will ever convince me otherwise.
You can read the Bible through, but there is so much that we miss by just reading the Bible like it was any other book. It’s so much more than just a book. We need to study it; make what it says part of ourselves. Read it for content and understanding to see what God is trying to tell us. Thinking about what is being said and done. Reason out why it happened as it did. Going over a section of Scripture several times, searching for the truths hidden there, can open our eyes to the theme of Jesus Christ that runs from the very beginning of Genesis 1:1 to the last period of Revelation 22:21.
These blogs that I’m writing are what I see. It’s my prayer that you will see God and His Son, Jesus.
That you will see He has always been, always is and always will be. But I’m not just going to leave it there. I’m going to challenge you to think about the Scripture reading for each blog. What do you think about what is happening in the reading? Why and Why not? Then, I’m going to ask questions about how it applies to you. These questions are to give you food for thought and to help you discover what you really believe and to challenge you to find a deeper walk with God. I’ll always end with a personal prayer. You can pray it along with me or pray your own prayer. I also want to you pray before you read the blog too. Pray that God will open your heart and mind to hear what He is telling you. What you learn may not even be from what I write but something you find on your own in the Scripture we are looking at.
To start with, here are two questions to get you going. There are no right or wrong answers. Ok, there are right or wrong answers to some of the questions, but the answers to all of the questions are really between you and God. You don’t need to share your answers, but sometimes talking about them can help you discover what you really believe. They are there to help you dig deeper into the Word and to help you meditate on God’s Word. Don’t hesitate to come to your own conclusions of what God is doing in the story. You may not see what I see. Seek your own answers and you will find them.
Father God. Thank You for Your presence in my life. Thank You for the challenge You have given me. To look deeper into Your word to see what You want me to learn and to share. Open my heart and mind to Your guidance. Give me insight that is true. In Jesus Name. Amen.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- Do you believe that the Bible is totally truth or a just collection of fables and myths?
- Do you believe that the Bible is written solely by man, or is it written by God, through man?
