B E H I N D / T H E / B A R

He’s been coming to RiverChurch since we started worshipping on Saturday nights, downtown.  His voice is soft.  His face is kind.  He’s been through and seen a lot in his many years.

He’s said on a number of occasions, “I want to live right, I really do.”  But it seems the bottle is his vice.  This past Saturday a couple of us were sitting with him as he was profoundly weeping over the fact that he had fallen again to the lure of drinking.  He was convinced that he had let God down.  We did our best to encourage him with our simple, and insignificant words.  But its what he said to us that has haunted me all week.

With tears streaming down his face, and in almost a whisper he said, “You know, I know that the Bible has what I need.  I know I could find truth inside to help me win this fight but

. . . i can’t read.”

He went on to explain that his problem was compounded by the fact that he has cataracts and can’t see well.  But when he can see, with proper reading glasses, he can’t understand the words he’s reading because he can barely read at all.

His confession messed me up.  He’s right, you know?  Within the pages of Scripture we can find hope, strength, truth, to help us through any battle we may face.  And yet, for many followers of Christ we’d rather just let someone tell us what the Bible says, instead of discovering truth for ourself.  I’ll be the first one to say, I take the pages of Scripture for granted, not to mention the ability to read them.  Too often, I’m guilty of reading just to say I read my Bible today.

But my conversation with my friend this past weekend has challenged me to make the most of every opportunity I have to open God’s Word, and when I do I want to say a little prayer of thanks for the fact that

” . . . i can read.”

What’s God’s Word been saying to you lately?