Don’t Miss Great Blessings
For everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Romans 15:4
Last week I was reading one of my great-nephews one of their favorite books. When I inadvertently missed a page, Michael quickly spoke up, “Aunt Bobbie, you missed my favorite part!”
When Christians don’t read the Old Testament because it’s too long, too hard to understand, too difficult to pronounce the names, or for any other number of reasons, we are missing wonderful blessings God has for us.
Romans 15:4 reminds us that the things written long ago were written for our instruction, encouragement, and hope. The Old Testament is not simply a collection of ancient stories or laws that we can skip over now that we have the New Testament. It is an essential part of God’s story—and it helps us understand the New Testament more fully.
Jesus and His apostles taught from the Old Testament. They used the Scriptures to explain who Jesus was and to reveal what God had been doing throughout history and what He was accomplishing through Christ. The promises, prophecies, people, sacrifices, covenants, and stories of the Old Testament all help us see the greater picture of God’s plan of redemption.
When we read the Old Testament prayerfully, asking the Holy Spirit to teach us, we begin to see connections we might otherwise miss. We understand more deeply why Jesus came, what His life and death accomplished, and how faithfully God keeps His promises.
So, don’t skip a vitally important part of God’s story. Don’t miss a profound blessing—perhaps just the part God may use to speak exactly what your heart needs today.
Lord, thank You for giving us all of Scripture. Help us not to overlook the Old Testament, but to read it with open hearts and minds. Through Your Spirit, help us see how it points us to Jesus and reveals Your faithfulness. Give us understanding, encouragement, and hope as we study Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.