The Vibrant Color of God's Word
Written by Jill Dunbar
This past summer it seemed that everyone was able to catch a glimpse of the northern lights except for me. I would run outside multiple times and stare up at the night sky in hopes that I might see this wonder everyone was talking about. I set alarms, battled bugs and tried not to be afraid of whatever wildlife was roaming around nearby. It would always go the same; stars shinning beautifully, crickets chirping in the background and the cool breeze rustling through the leaves. Beautiful, and yet, I was still missing something.
Ever have that same feeling when reading scripture? Some passages reach out and grab your heart just like a beautiful sunrise or sunset where all the rich colors and meanings are visibly present. But what about times where you see the beauty but still feel you are missing something?
This happened to me recently in a Bible study where we were looking at Genesis 40. This chapter talks about Joseph, who was currently serving a prison term for being wrongfully accused of an attempted assault of Potiphar’s Wife. Joseph was soon joined by a cupbearer and a baker. These two individuals ended up having bizarre dreams and ended up sharing them with Joseph who then provided interpretations. One ended up in great success and one ended up being executed. Ultimately the dreams came to pass just as Joseph had interpreted them.
When the time came for me to share what my observations or applications of this section, I was stumped. It seemed like a nice story of God using His people to do some pretty amazing and important things, but beyond that, I couldn’t think of anything insightful to add or find a way to articulate what I already noted.
But then something started to happen. As the rest of the group started sharing how God had spoken to them through His Word, the scripture came alive, and I started looking at this chapter a little differently. The things they helped me see included:
- How many times do we despise our circumstance and then miss seeing the hand of God in our lives?
- Accepting where God has put us knowing He is near.
- How is God molding, shaping and refining us in our current situations?
- While it may seem we may have been forgotten, there may be a great purpose to help us remember that God still sees us and will use us to share stories of his faithfulness.
You see, sitting in God’s word daily is essential for our spiritual walk and fueling our personal relationship with our Savior. Those quite moments alone allow us to soak in all that God has for us and for Him to speak to us through His Word. But in order to add color and provide another lens, it is also important to embrace community and study God’ s word with others. The Bible talks about community as a way to build each other up, work together, compliment one another’s strengths, correcting each other, sharing in each other’s sorrows, encouraging and spurring one another in their faith, just to name a few. God created us for community. We need that real and sometimes vulnerable connection with others to see what we are missing, provide different perspectives and encourage us in our spiritual journeys.
So that night sky I was talking about? Turns out someone had to tell me to view through my camera on my phone. The light sensitivity of the camera helps pick up the light our eyes cannot see on their own. Once I switched on that camera, the night sky came to life. Greens, purples and reds began to dance through the sky as the moon and stars hung in suspense in the beauty around them. Totally awestruck, I could not get enough of what God was placing before me.
Likewise, I am continually amazed as the insights and beauty my Christian friends and small groups bring to my life. I am thankful that our time together ignites a curiosity to continue to grow even closer to my Savior. Thank you all for helping me see the vibrant colors of God’s Word!