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THE BIBLE & THE COAL BASKET
The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of
eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up
early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.
His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any
way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I
try to read the
Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand
I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible
do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and
said, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket
of water." The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked
out before he could get back to the house.
The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster
next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he
returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
"impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket
instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a
basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,"
and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the
boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that
even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he
got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he
reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the
basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the
basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old coal basket, it was
clean. "Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change
you from the inside out.
That is the work of God in our lives.
To change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the
image of His son.
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day.
-- Author Unknown
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