Some verses from the Bible hit me like a lighting bolt. From the first time I read them. Like, sudden flash of light, powerful explosion, never forgotten kind of hit me.

As an aside, I still remember growing up and reading the Guiness Book of World Records. I never forgot reading about the park ranger who had been hit by lightning 7 times and survived to get into Guiness. Tough way to make the record book in my opinion. Full disclosure, I’ve never been hit by lightning, but I imagine it’s pretty life changing. Hence the hit by lightning analogy, and yes, I’m thinking chances are pretty small that you’ve been hit either, but I’m sticking with it anyway.

Back to those verses that just lay you flat, start with the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10. First time I remember reading it, I thought, this seems really unfair. Here this young man is, clearly trying hard to be the right person, to follow all the rules and commandments he knew about, and then have Jesus say that while that’s nice, in order to have treasure in heaven, he needs to sell everything and give to the poor. Ouch.

The second “can this be right?” story that comes to mind is the narrow gate and wide gate in Matthew 7. Apparently the gate to destruction is wide, and many enter through it. At the same time, the gate that leads to life is narrow, and only a few find it. Seriously, with so many people striving to find it, only a few actually do? Pondering those verses has kept me up at night more than a few times over the years. I have to say, my pondering has not led to any epiphanies, other than perhaps to keep striving for the narrow gate.

Lastly, and closely related to the narrow gate, are the verses a little further down Matthew 7 where Christ says that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. There will be some who have prophesied in His name, driven out demons, and performed miracles. And they will NOT enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I confess I don’t understand these words, but I’ve never forgotten them, and they cross my mind and keep me up at night more often than many other verses do. Admittedly, the fact that casting out demons is not a prerequisite to heaven is encouraging, but still….

So, while each of these stories / verses probably deserve their own deep dive, my point is actually that while some verses hit hard, other verses and thoughts take some time to come to a place of even partial understanding.

Start by thinking about the feeling you have when you look up to or down from a mountain. The sheer majesty of when you look out at a mountain range in the distance, maybe even with snow covered peaks. For some of you, gazing out at the endless ocean, or snorkeling and peering down into crystal clear deep blue water, or simply laying on a beach just breathing in the breeze coming in from the ocean brings on that feeling. Perhaps it’s standing at the base of a giant waterfall, hearing the water thunder down and feeling the spray on your face. That feeling of awe and pure wonder. I believe that feeling, regardless of what triggers it, is simply God giving us a glimpse of what we have in front of us. A small shadow of what heaven will be. That God in His infinite wisdom and love, has enabled us to get a taste, a brief touch, of what is coming. When the Bible talks about the hope we have (I’m thinking about Hebrews 6:18-19), I think the feeling of majesty and the recognition of the immense beauty before us in nature, is simply God reminding us that this world is merely a shadow of what is to come. While the world he has created us is infinitely amazing, it is simply a shadow of His glory.

My point in all this (I feel I am reminding myself of what I started out trying to say at this point) is that God has given us his Word, and it provides us with immediate and powerful messages, and then over time, it shows us great and wonderful messages that are not readily apparent.

My prayer is that you and I immerse ourselves in His Word. That we allow ourselves to feel the immediate power of lightning striking in our lives and the immediate need for grace and repentance, and also, over time, feel the wonder of the subtle revelations that other verses gradually reveal to us. Revelations that lead us to hope. We all need a little more hope.

Grace and Peace