Devotion - Wednesday, October 26

One of the tasks associated with reading our bibles is to reflect on where we fit into the story.  Is the story being told to us, or being told about us?  Are we to hear this story as an affirmation of our choices, or should the story challenge us adopt changes?

The professor in my preaching class told us, "Don't take the side of God too quickly."  It was his way of reminding us to consider well the perspectives of those who hear the story and to ask how those to whom we are currently speaking are included in the story.  "Don't always assume they are the heathens!"

There are many parts of the bible which do (and should) challenge our choices and our thinking.  There are many parts which call for us to re-examine our lives and our responses to God's calling.  But let's not allow those parts to overshadow the abundance of places where God speaks tenderly to us, where God affirms us, and where God stands up for us and our needs.