I have two Swiss army knives. A small one is on my keychain. It has a knife blade, a blade that is a file (with a notch on the end so you can also use it as a screwdriver), and a tiny pair of scissors (which is what I use the most). A larger version with more blades and features is in my tackle box.
Anyone who has ever owned one of these knives knows they are the epitome of usefulness. It’s like having a mini toolbox at your disposal! I use the one on my keychain all the time.
We all know people who are like Swiss army knives, don’t we? They’re salt of the earth types who figured out a long time ago that God put us on this planet to be of service to Him and others. They’re not flamboyant and have no desire to be famous, but they do enjoy being useful. Isn’t that a wonderful quality? Aren’t we deeply blessed by such people?
Paul tells Timothy that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful . . .” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What is it useful for? Well, a lot of things. He mentions teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness” so that we can be “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” It’s like a spiritual Swiss army knife!
So, whatever else we understand the Scriptures to be, we need to keep in the forefront of our thinking that they are designed by God to be eminently useful. To read and study but fail to apply them to our lives in a practical, meaningful way, is to miss the purpose for which they were given. It’s not an accidental or incidental that Jesus’ discussion of the two greatest commands lead to the story of the Good Samaritan and the concluding words, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:25-37).
Let’s go and do!
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 