I am sure that somewhere along the way, you have heard or read that reading the Bible is like peeling an onion. As you peel the top layer of the onion, you discover a whole new layer beneath the original layer and then another layer and then another layer. The same is true about God's Word. You can read a passage of scripture and then come back later to reread the passage and discover another rich truth that you originally didn't see. You can come back again later and read that very same passage for the third time and discover another truth.
Let me tell you about a recent "peeling" and discovery. While reading the first chapter of Acts, I read about the promise of the Father concerning the outpouring of His precious Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:4) Immediately, my mind went back to that promise which is found in Joel 2:28-29. Like you, I've read this passage so many times over the years. But as I read again God's prophesy through Joel, this time was different. For the first time, a certain word in this passage jumped off the page of my Bible. I am referring to the word "all".
Before you start questioning my intelligence, let me give this explanation. I am smart enough to know that this word wasn't recently added to the scriptures. Joel wrote the word "all" hundreds of years before Jesus was born. In other words, when I read the passage, the ink wasn't still wet. And, before you start shaking your long, bony finger at me, I know for a fact that in my previous readings, I didn't speed-read the passage and overlook this word. And yet, when I read the passage this time, the lower case letters in this little three-letter word became a Texas-size (that's humongous) word that couldn't be ignored. God got my attention. ALL. ALL. ALL. ALL. ALL. ALL. ALL ...
