In Honor of Bible Week

In honor of Bible week (Nov. 17-24, 2013), I offer a little parable I found years ago...It still rings true for me and maybe for some others, too.
          The Book: A Modern Parable of the Sower, by Margit Gratzl

There is a new book praised by many for its good writing and informative value.  Therefore, many people march to the bookstore. 

Some look at the title, leaf through the book, and put it back on the shelf.  

Some buy the book, start reading it with great enthusiasm, but get tired of it after a while and never finish it.

Others read the book from cover to cover, but due to all the other information they are bombarded with on a daily basis, forget about the book and the value of its content.

 However, some buy the book, read it with great care and commit what they read to memory, integrate it with their other knowledge, and make use of what they have learned for many years to come.

The End. Beginning.

On any given day, any one of us could be in one of these categories with our Bible reading. We have a verse pop up on our computer screen daily and let that substitute for in-depth bible study. Maybe we read on a regular basis, but don't understand what we have read. And our pride stops us from asking for help. Maybe the bible is an old and dear friend; so much so that it falls open to our favorite passages, without ever challenging us to wrestle with parts that make us squirm. Maybe we just plain don't have time to read the Bible until Sunday morning when we use the pew Bible at church.

The strength and joy of the parable of the sower, is that He keeps on sowing seeds. God doesn't discriminate about what kind of soil receives His seeds. Any effort on our part, and God more than meets us half-way. We aren't condemned for not reading the Bible, but we are abundantly blessed if we do read it on a regular basis.

Let this National Bible Week challenge you to up your game, read the book, and receive the blessings!