Still Shining

Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:23-25

“I.can’t believe my grandma gave me a Bible for my birthday!” Ethan said as he and his friend Kai walked home from school. “What am I gonna do with that?”

“Well, you could read it,” Kai said.

Ethan laughed. “How could an old book written thousands of years ago have anything to say to us today? My dad says the Bible is old-fashioned and outdated. Maybe he’ll let me return it and get something else.” He pointed down the street. “Hey, let’s stop and see the house my uncle is building. It’s only a couple blocks away.”

Kai agreed, so the boys stopped at the new house. “Cool!” Kai said when he saw it. “Is that a solar panel on the roof?”

Ethan nodded. “Most of the power for heating and cooling will come from the sun. My uncle says more and more people are using solar energy now. It’s cheaper and better for the environment.”

Kai glanced up at the sky and shrugged. “I don’t see what the big deal is. The sun is just an old star. How could it be useful?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Ethan. “The sun gives us the light and energy we need to survive. There wouldn’t be any life on earth without it!”

Kai smirked. “Yeah, but it’s older than the Bible, so it can’t be any good to us today, right?”

“Oh, I see what you’re doing,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes. “You know it’s not the same thing.”

“Actually, it kind of is,” said Kai. “The sun gives us the light we need to live on earth, but the Bible shows us the light of a different Son—Jesus, the Son of God. It tells us how we can have eternal life by trusting in Him. And just like sunlight, the light the Bible shines on our lives is just as powerful today as it was thousands of years ago. It’s the light of God’s truth, and He never changes.”

Ethan was quiet as they started heading home. “I guess I’ll give my new Bible a try,” he finally said.

“I’ll give you some verses to start with if you want,” Kai said. “Then maybe we can talk about them.”

Ethan smiled. “That would be great!” – Barbara Westberg

How About You?

Do you think the Bible is old-fashioned or outdated because it’s been around for a long time? It may be old, but it shines the light of God’s truth on our lives, and His truth never changes. It tells us how God’s Son, Jesus, died for us so we could have eternal life. Even though it was written thousands of years ago, its light is still shining today. Read it and ask God to help you see His truth.

Today’s Key Verse:
Mark 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my [Jesus’] words will never pass away. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

The Bible is for today