The Beauty Of Backroads

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

Something you might not know about me is that I loathe driving on the interstate. I absolutely hate it, mainly because I’ve lived in Atlanta my entire life and the way people drive down here is nothing short of insane. So whenever possible, I will take backroads to get to my destination. Sure, the route might be longer, and I may get stuck behind a tractor from time to time, but overall I love driving on backroads. The views are prettier. There are fewer cars, and it’s just a more enjoyable experience as a whole.

Well last fall, I started taking the same backroad route on my way to basketball practice for the team I was coaching. I would drive down these roads several times a week at different times during the day. But what was so interesting to me was that every time I found myself on these backroads, I noticed something I’d never noticed before - a white farmhouse tucked back in the woods, a once-hidden pond that’s now visible with the leaves having fallen off the surrounding trees, a rare undeveloped field with the sun setting in the background. It was such a cool experience to make these new discoveries on each drive.

But what’s even cooler than that is how beautiful a metaphor backroad driving is to our experience with God’s Word. Think about it this way: there are verses in the Bible you’ve read several, maybe even hundreds of times, right? There are verses or stories you’ve been taught since you were a little kid, and you can might even be able to quote several of them from memory.

But as you grow up, physically and spiritually, and you come across these verses, you will start to notice something new about them. The words will hit home a little differently than they have in the past. You’ll see these passages in a new light because you’re reading them under different circumstances.

That’s what I love about Scripture. It is alive and active, just like the author of Hebrews tells us. It’s not stale, old, and irrelevant. Rather, it’s the exact opposite. It’s constantly revealing things to us that are new, helpful, and full of wisdom to guide in whatever situation we find ourselves in.

So with that in mind, my encouragement to you is this. When you go to read your Bible today, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you something new through the Word of God. Ask Him to grant you wisdom, guidance, and discernment as you read, and watch Him open your eyes to something you may not have noticed before, even if you’re reading a verse you’ve read a hundred times.