The story is told of an old man who
lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. He dwelt there
with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the
kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson, who wanted
to be just like him, tried to imitate him in any way he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I
try to read the Bible just like you but I don't always understand it; what I
do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading
the Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from
putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this coal basket down to the river
and bring back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, even
though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house.
The Grandfather laughed and said, "You
will have to move a little faster next time!" He sent him back to the river
with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but
again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told
his Grandfather that it was "impossible" to carry water in a basket.
He went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a
bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not
trying hard enough." He then went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew in his own
mind that the task was impossible. But he loved his Grandfather.
Instead of arguing he to illustrate that, even if he ran as fast as he
could, the water would leak out before he got far at all.
The boy once again went to the
river. Once again he scooped the water and ran hard. And, when
he reached his Grandfather the basket was once again empty. Out of breath,
he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" the old
man said. "Look at the basket"
The boy looked at the basket and for
the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a
dirty old coal basket, it was now clean.
"Son, that's what happens when you
read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when
you read it, it will change you from the inside out. That is the work of God
in our lives. To change us from the inside out - slowly transforming us into
the image of His Son."
Take time to read God's word each day.
Forwarded by Rhonda
Bonhall
