...The Forest for the Trees
You’ve probably heard the saying, “missing the forest for the trees.” It’s a reference to how we sometimes miss the important big truth because we get locked in on certain details. In fact, this is very easy to do! And I have spent much time in Bible study not remembering to see the “forest” of God’s big story.
One of my favorite Bible resources comes to us courtesy of two local Portlanders: Tim Mackie and Jon Collins, who gave us The Bible Project. They recognized that we can tend to read the Bible like it is just a “behavior manual, a theology dictionary or a grab bag of spiritual one-liners and inspiring stories.” While the Bible certainly is the basis for our theology and morality, it is so much more! As they say on their website, they want to “help people see the Bible as one unified story that leads to Jesus.”
The website is a treasure trove of free videos and study materials covering every book of the Bible as well as numerous helpful series exploring key themes and ideas throughout the Bible. I have found it to be an invaluable tool when reading the Bible or leading a small group study.
If you’ve never visited the website, let me invite you to try something new this week. Go to the website and find the video(s) that cover the book of the Bible that you are currently reading. Watch these brief videos and then see if the view of the “forest” doesn’t make your reading in the trees even more powerful. Ultimately, we all need to see how the Bible’s story points to Jesus!