All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Lately, my son Andrew is in a phase I remember well and, if I’m honest, never completely outgrew: he is memorizing as many fun facts about baseball as possible. And he can’t wait to share them with me.
“Daddy, do you know how many players hit more than 700 home runs in their career?” [Yes, there are four: Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Pujols.]
“Daddy, do you know who has the 2nd most World Series wins of all time? [Yes, the St. Louis Cardinals. Had to Google how many, though.]
“Daddy, do you know how many 1952 Mickey Mantle cards still exist? [….nope. He’s got me there.]
Rarely does a drive home from school occur without Andrew peppering me with these kinds of trivia questions. He’s just so excited to soak up every bit of baseball history possible that he can’t keep the newfound knowledge to himself.
Some of us are the same with the Bible—we’re always excited to learn something new, whether it’s a connection between two passages, a bit of historical context, or a new interpretation of a familiar verse. Maybe you’re somebody who can rattle off the names of the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelves disciples; maybe you like to scour biblical genealogies for familiar names.
All of that is wonderful, because it shows a love for God’s Word and a desire to know more about him. The trick, however, is to go beyond the fun facts to what they mean—not just to learn trivia, but to apply Scripture to your life.
God gave us the Bible, all 66 books of it, so that we would know him better and know better how to live for him. It’s fun to pick up exegetical nuggets, but it’s far more useful to let God’s Word take root in your heart. So keep reading and keep learning—not just the surface-level fun facts, but also the deeper truths of who God is and what he calls you to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment