The Book that Reads Me!

Author Hans-Ruedi Weber tells a popular East African story about a simple woman who always walked around with her big bulky Bible. No matter where she went, she toted it around with her. It got to the point where the other villagers began to tease her about, “Why always the Bible? There are so many other good books you could read.” The teasing did not seem to bother the woman as she went right on carrying it around. Finally, one day, as a crowd was laughing at her, she held up the Bible high above her head and said with a great smile: “Yes, of course there are many books which I could read. Yet there is only one book which reads me.”

It is amazing to me how our scripture has the power to read us. And, over the course of time, even familiar passages can speak to us in new and insightful ways. Today, I invite you to hear the passage from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6 once again – or maybe for the first time. Listen to what God may be saying to you even now.

Jesus said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life…

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat? or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Let us pray: Open our hearts to your Word again this day; that as we read and as we pray, our lives would be tuned to yours. Amen.