“Life is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get.” (Forrest Gump*).

Except that if you have the leaflet that comes with the box of chocolates you have a good idea about what you are gonna get. Perhaps this is more accurate:

“Life is like a box of chocolates: we all come to a sticky end.” (Nick Lear)

The internet seems full of pithy sayings and clever pieces of advice. This morning I have received this African proverb from two different sources:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

I also came across some words from J John about reading the Bible, which seemed quite appropriate to what I am saying tomorrow night at the Expedition Through the Bible. He suggests that reading the Bible without God’s Spirit is like eating a dry biscuit while walking in the desert (or something like that, I can’t find it again now).

That’s clever and amusing but I wonder if it’s not more like driving a car with an empty fuel tank: you’re not going to get very far. God’s Spirit is the one who inspired people to write down the words we have in the Bible, so he’s the best one to be able to inspire us as we read them. Without him the words, as brilliant and amazing as they are, will not take us anywhere. Without him the Bible is simply (!) an astonishing collection of ancient literature that gives good advice for life along the lines of Forrest Gump.

With him, God speaks through the words, and applies them to us, so that he inspires, encourages, comforts, challenges, teaches, blesses, corrects, guides, nurtures…

Don’t stop reading the Bible, but make sure you put some fuel in the tank before you do!

Be blessed, be a blessing.

*Yes, I know he is quoting his ‘Mumma’ but he is the one who articulates it in the film