Reflections on the Old Testament

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For nearly as long as I can remember, I've reverenced the Bible and known that this Book was special. Though I don't remember us studying the text as a family, the lessons therein were very much a part of our lives. Dad quoted from it easily, and I had a book of children's Bible stories in my bedroom, from which I'd often ask Mom to read to me. Strangely, my favorite story was of Solomon using an unusual way to judge which of two mothers a surviving baby belonged to, after the other woman's baby had died.

I clearly recall the first time I realized the settings described were places that really existed. I was still a young child at the time, but old enough to read. My father had a warn black leather Bible, which sat on the bookshelf in the front room with my mother's tattered white, zip-up one. Every so often, I'd carefully pick one up of those Bibles and read for a while. On that particular day I'd selected my dad's. I came across the name of a place that I recognized, and suddenly it just clicked. This book was about real people and real places!

Since then I've gone through various periods of feast and famine, as far as studying goes, but I had never read the entire text of this holy Book. I finally read the New Testament from cover to cover for the first time when in my early 40's, in a time when I really started to feel the Lord drawing me to Him. I'd felt close to Him for most of my life, but this was different. This was Him shedding His light and love on me, and seeking me out. I'm sure He always has, but that day I felt it in a way I never had before. I hungered to know every word He spoke, everything He did, everything He taught. My focus was suddenly changed from myself and my struggles, to Him and His compassion. I knew in that moment that He was completely aware of my circumstances and my innermost turmoils and thoughts. There was no doubt that I would never truly be alone again, no matter what challenges came my way.

I am now well on my way to completing my first read all the way through the Old Testament, and have found it to be life changing. Granted, some of it I have found tedious. I feel disrespectful in admitting that, but some of it is very detailed concerning the old laws, listings of how many people went where and so forth. However, if we stopped at those sections and didn't continue, we would miss out on some extremely touching and encouraging portions of this inspired text.

It has been through the Old Testament that I have begun to learn how powerful the Lord really is, and how He fights our battles, even ones we know nothing about. He is able to influence even non-believers in order to fulfill His purposes for those who love Him. Over and over, we are instructed to look to Him, recognize His hand in our lives, and praise Him for His goodness. Even nature itself knows His name and obeys His voice.

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Still, the Israelite people slid back into idolatrous ways, time and time again. It seems that this is what angered Him most: when they turned away from Him to worship idols who had no power, had not created them, and had done nothing for them. So many times, he pleaded with them to return to Him, the One who had given them everything. So many times, He gave them another chance, and He does the same for us.

It is my hope that we will seek Him, and His will, completely. He knows what's around those blind corners in our lives, the ones we can't see past. He, who created us, knows our hearts, what we've been through, what we will yet encounter and what we are meant to accomplish through Him. Trust Him, love Him, and worship Him, for He is worthy of our praise and devotion. He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He will always gather us to Him, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, if we but earnestly seek Him.