when God talks to us

Today we read the January 21st selection from the One Year Bible. CLICK HERE for the OT reading, and CLICK HERE for the NT.

The thing that jumped out at me today was the little parable that Jesus tells. It's a very short one, and it is something I've never really thought about before. He says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings out old gems as well as new ones. What does that mean exactly? Well, at the time Jesus was teaching, it meant that even though Jesus was teaching them lots of new things, He wasn't getting rid of the old things. He didn't come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. So the ten commandments were still true, along with the beatitudes. Old and new together.

But does it mean something more to us today? Yes, I think it does. Because even though the canon of Scripture did close, and the time of creating the Bible is over, God hasn't stopped speaking to us. He still speaks to each of us, all the time. And He speaks through the old and the new, both.

He speaks to us through the old, by speaking to us through the Bible. That's one way we know we can trust Him to speak to us clearly. Reading the Bible each day (which you can easily do simply by following this blog every day) is a great way to hear what He's telling you about your life.

But He whispers to us throughout the day, as well. He prompts us through our conscience to help people we meet along our journey. He speaks to us through our church, giving us opportunities to make a difference and to share our faith. He speaks to us in our prayer, making us better people. And He speaks to us in the poor, giving us the chance to do something "for the least of these". And when we do, we are doing it for Him.

God, thank You for speaking to us about Your kingdom - in the Old and the New.