hat made the Bible the source of strength for our ancestors then and for people today? Can the Bible still be trusted?
Parallels of hope and encouragement the liberation story of the Israelites. They felt as Jones Cone so eloquently writes that God is a God of the Oppressed. Those who lived through slavery can attest to the fact that they had to lean on God and trust God in perilous times. Our ancestors then and individuals today can find hope and peace in the idea that one day God will send a savior to deliver His children from oppressive situations. God sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. God sent David to deliver Israel from the Philistines. God sent Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee, and others to speak truth to power. To give voice to those who were voiceless.
God did miracles, signs, and wonders in the Bible is the same God that will do miracles, signs, and wonders today through the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers, we must do as many of our ancestors did.
They read themselves into connection and community with God. They read the Bible, studied the Bible, lived the Bible, and trusted the Bible. They were able to connect with God on a personal level because they didn’t just listen to the word of God. They experienced the word of God! They knew that the word of God works but they had to work the word. Believers can work the word by studying it, and by having a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. Believers work the word by living out the gospel message.
The Bible is mysterious and powerful. It can turn an atheist into a believer. A drug dealer into a preacher. The word of God still has transformative power!
