Time in a Bottle

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John 1:1
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone (v.4).

 

Last year, Daniil Korotkikh, a 13-year-old Russian boy,
was beachcombing on the Curonian Spit when he
stumbled upon an old bottle poking out of the sand.
He picked it up, uncorked it, and discovered a letter
written 24 years earlier. Frank, a German boy on a ship
to Denmark with his family, had written a letter including
his address for return correspondence, sealed it up,
and tossed the bottle into the icy ocean. Two and a half
decades later, Daniil discovered it—and amazingly, he
was able to contact Frank. They’re now friends.


The letter—those written words—was a treasure for
Daniil. They connected him to another person and led
him to friendship. We say the same is true of God’s
Word to us, but often it doesn’t feel like a treasure.
Perhaps we’re slow to admit it, but God’s Word often
feels more like an obligation—a burden. We should
read the Bible. We should incorporate the Bible’s truth.
These admonitions often leave us tired, hollow, and guiltladen.
We know that Scripture isn’t simply words on a page,
but rather an encounter with a person—the person
of Jesus Christ—present with us by the Spirit of God.
Jesus is “the Word,” the One who embodies all that
Scripture contains (John 1:1). This Word (Jesus) is the
One who “gave life” and the One who brings “light to
everyone” (v.4). This Word is the One who “shines in
the darkness” (v.5).


In a world—and in a religious environment—filled with lots and lots of words,
we have an invitation to encounter the Word—the Word that lives and loves
and offers Himself to us. Will we listen? Will we hear? If so, we’ll discover true
treasure and rich friendship.

—Winn Collier

more›
Read (and pray) Psalms 119:9. What are the connections between
God and His Word?


next›
How would you describe your experience with Scripture? How does it
inspire you to read the Bible more when you consider that Jesus is the
Word?

 



 

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