Walk Through the Bible, Part XV

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

This is a continuing series of articles that will take us through the Bible looking at the key people and stories. Perhaps this overview will aid your Bible reading and in hearing the scriptures each Sunday.

After reading the second chapter of Joshua, you may recall the story of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout out the Promised Land. Here, Joshua, the new leader of Israel sends out two men who end up hiding in the home of Rahab, a prostitute who lives in Jericho. In exchange for the help she gives the men, Rahab and her family are spared when the city falls to the Israelites. Later, Rahab gives birth to Boaz who becomes David’s grandfather. (A harlot in the lineage of David? How interesting!)

A second déjà vu moment occurs in Joshua chapter 3. When the Ark of the Covenant, carried by twelve priests comes to the Jordan river, the waters part, allowing the Israelites to cross into their new land without the trouble of navigating the river.

One of the joys of being familiar with the Bible is the ability to see stories like this repeated in different forms at different times. It can remind us that things we read in the Bible can happen in our lives!

Last in a series of letters to youth making their confirmation this month. I pray the
thoughts will be of value to both the teens and those who have already made their confirmation.

My younger brothers and sisters in Christ,

What’s next? Now that your confirmation is over, what happens? Is it just back to your
pre-confirmation teenage life or will things be different?

By now, you know what I hope your answer will be. I pray that you’ve started on what will be a
great journey with Christ. But is that realistic? Will the sacrament of confirmation cause a
significant change in your life?

It does for some. One youth told me he felt empowered to do things he’d never done before.
He challenged some friends over their trash-talking about a girl, befriended an outcast kid at
lunch, and defended his pro-life beliefs in a class. His only explanation for this new-found
courage was the Holy Spirit.

I experienced something different and, at the time, it didn’t seem life-changing. To be honest,
in my case, confirmation is a scene the director would cut out of my life’s movie. Why? In large
part, the sacrament hadn’t been explained well and so I just lived up to some rather low
expectations. But even so, something did happen. I started down a path God wanted for me. I
didn’t move particularly fast – that youth I just described raced into the Christian life. I sort of
shuffled my feet – but I did move and as time went by my relationship with God grew.

I’m praying that your confirmation experience will be memorable and significant but even if it
falls short of that, I know God will be with you in a new way. In particular, I know that he wants
to have a personal relationship with you and that’s the last topic I want to cover in these
letters. How do you grow in your relationship with God?

First, you need to read your Bible. This is “God’s word” and so if you want an easy way to hear
God all you need to do is start reading. Yes, I know the Bible can seem intimidating. Start with
the stories. A disciple strives to be like Jesus and the first step in that process is to know about
him – what he did and how he acted – so you might start with the Gospel of Mark. Or you can
read the story of Joseph starting in Genesis 37. Joseph is 17 when the story begins and even
though he lived a few thousand years ago you’ll appreciate his story. Have you ever gotten
blamed for something you didn’t do? Joseph did. God can teach you how to handle a situation
like this as you read the story. Ask older Christians for Bible story suggestions. Most aren’t long
and the more you read the more you’ll come to know God and how God wants you to act.

Reading the Bible is a way for God to talk to you. Prayer is a way for you to talk to God and
that’s my second suggestion. There are lots of ways to pray and anything that works for you is
a good way. Saying prayers you’ve memorized – the Our Father or Hail Mary – are good, but
you also should try just talking to God. Picture Jesus sitting next to you and just tell him what’s
going on – good things you’re thankful for and situations you’re concerned about. Spending
time with God is just like spending time with friends. The more time you give to them the better
you know them. That’s not to say that you need to pray for hours every night before you go to