Preconceptions have the ability to significantly alter how we think about things. This past semester in our Middle School youth group gatherings we studied several Old Testament characters, many of whom are very familiar. As I began to dive into the idea of taking an entire semester to solely focus on Old Testament characters, these preconceptions began to drift in. My mind quickly shifted to thoughts of “Well, I’ve heard those stories before” and “What could I possibly learn from Old Testament characters.”
As the semester got started and progressed, we dove deeper into the Old Testament. We looked at stories like Abraham, Elijah, Samuel, Josiah, and Ruth. What became extremely clear to me through each of them is that the word of God is alive. Yes, even the Old Testament stories we all have heard since we were kids. In my personal reading time, I came across Hebrews 4:12 which speaks directly to this idea. It states, “for the word of God is living and active.” Even while studying Old Testament characters may seem like old news, and the stories are ones we’ve probably heard a thousand times, the word of God is alive and moving. Remembering this brought out many new things, both on a personal level and on our Wednesday nights together as we dove into this topic this past semester.
With this in mind, I encourage you as you read the word and study different stories in the Bible to treat it correctly, as a living word! It’s moving and it’s speaking truth into our everyday life every time we pick it up!
~~ Collin Sherrill