I was a few hours away from home. The two people in the vehicle with me were examining the backs of their eyelids for scratches so I needed some company. I turned the radio on but were in an isolated area so there wasn’t much available—a lot of static and little else. Finally, I found a station that came through loud and clear.
It was a cooking show.
I listened to it as long as I could. I wondered who in the station’s programming department thought that an hour long show about cooking would be something that people would be interested in. Perhaps if it was on television and you could see the food, but just listening to people talk about cooking was difficult—even though to their credit they were very enthusiastic, even passionate about what they were discussing. When it comes to food however, my enthusiasm is for eating it rather than talking about it (or listening to others talk about it).
Then I thought about it some more.
I thought about the people who were listening and appreciating the program. These were people who have blessed people like me. If we rule out the grill, my culinary skills are next to nil. But I’ve been blessed to eat at the table of what I consider to be some excellent cooks. Though I’m not passionate about cooking, I’ve certainly benefitted from the passion of others. So cooking shows may not be my thing, but I’m glad they’re on for people who are interested.
I think this is something of the way it’s supposed to be with disciples and the word of God. Disciples should have a passion for God’s word. The psalmist writes, “I will meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your word” (Psalm 119:15-16). This doesn’t mean we’re all to be walking Bible encyclopedias but it does mean that we are serious about going through His word and as we do, we allow the word to go through us.
A passion like this passion will benefit others. In Acts 8:26ff we have the story of two people—one who is struggling to understand the Scripture and another who is able to explain its meaning. They come together and one is able to bless the other. We’re not to take from this that people can’t understand anything in the Scripture without the help of someone, but it’s not wrong to see that some texts are more difficult than others and require help (see 2 Peter 3:14-16).
We live in a world where most people have heard something about the Bible (whether it’s accurate or not). Many have never studied it for themselves but they are sure it promotes slavery, misogyny, genocide, etc. More fair-minded and sensitive people wonder if there’s anything to this. They have real questions that need to be answered (Acts 8:34). It would be helpful to have someone to explain some things to them (v. 31). They’re outsiders to Scripture in the way I’m an outsider to cooking. We can sit in silence and allow them to continue to be fed misinformation or we can humbly share with them the Scripture’s message to the best of our ability
Whenever we’re blessed by our Father, it is with the expectation that we will use what He gives us to be a blessing to others. Whatever we’ve learned is supposed to be shared. There are people who are traveling through the deserts of this with huge questions in their heart. Life has them searching for something. Some of them are traveling on the same road we are.
Let God’s word dwell in you richly—for your good, for the glory of God, and for the good of the world!
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 