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Several weeks into this academic year, we received the
following letter from our child’s school principal:
Dear Parent,
In 2002, citizens approved an amendment to the Florida Constitution
blah blah blah… Beginning with the 2010-11 school year… blah blah blah… Our
current 5th grade class blah blah blah… Therefore… blah blah blah… I
have reviewed the enrollment along with the data blah blah blah… Your child has
been chosen… bla..
The last five words stopped me in my tracks.
Your child has been
chosen…
My child has been
chosen?!! Chosen for what?
Suddenly, it was of utmost importance that I understand all
the blah blah blahs leading up to the
five fateful words. What used to be generic, impersonal and even boring form
letter became incredibly personal.
I re-read the entire letter,
this time paying careful attention to every word, evaluating the implications
they have on the life of our family.
It was a sobering experience. For I realize that often I
approach God’s Word in a similar way…
In the year that king such and such died… blah blah blah..
I get lost. It’s old history. It happened in some far away place to
somebody else. It has no implications for my life here and now. I scan the words, their relevance for my life
today escaping my notice.
But God is nothing if He is not personal.
God called to him…, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here
I am”… God said “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Exodus 3:4-6
Note all the first
names. His dealings with us are on the proper name basis:
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other
times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is
listening.” I Samuel 3:10
God is personal and
His dealings with us are always personal.
Every word spoken has personal significance. Anything outside of this ongoing personal revelation of the personal God is dead religion.
(the shepherd of the sheep) calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out... he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him
because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact,
they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. John 10:2-5
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