by Richelle Hecker

It’s all about Jesus.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link. 

The Bible is an amazing book, replete with an abundance of themes. When studying the Bible as literature in college, the professor encouraged us to explore and write about the themes we discovered in snippets we were given to read. It was interesting to listen to what we discovered, as we each examined the stories from our own perspectives.

Although we explored the Bible from a secular viewpoint, it remains true through Christian views as well. There are numerous topical Bible studies available, that trace scripture from a thematic point of view. Each theme touches us in different ways as we connect with scripture from our own perspectives, guided by our individual backgrounds, maturity, and reality. God’s Word is living and active, giving each of us exactly what we need at any given moment.

Sometimes, the interweaving of all these themes can distract us. Just as in this photo, there are many things to observe, but the focus is the red winged blackbird at the center. We become involved in the jots and tittles of interpretation, and are led away from the overriding theme throughout scripture. While all of these themes are interesting and important for our growth, one theme trumps them all. Every moment, every word points to one thing from beginning to end, Christ Jesus.

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:7-11 New International Version