Familiar

This morning as I read through Acts 9, the passages were familiar.  I've heard the story of Saul's conversion dozens of time, read and heard about God raising people from the dead more than I can remember.  Yet as I read the second half of this chapter, I was hit by the oddity and wonder of it: how incredible are the words on this page!  If some woman was proclaimed dead, then a traveling preacher prayed over her and said, "Tabitha, get up", and she did, why, it would be all over the news!  Everyone and their brother would know of this event.

Same with the previous story.  If there was an extremist person who was crashing planes into buildings or committing genocide in order to do away with Christianity, then suddenly became the next Billy Graham, we'd take notice.  We'd likely respond with wonder and awe, perhaps some skepticism as well.  

And yet I find myself reading unbelievable tales like this in my Bible as if they were as normal as the weather.  Oh yeah, God raised another person to life.  That's like the 12 time this week, right?  Oh, another person's life been completely transformed by the Gospel?  That's legit, but old hat; heard it a hundred times.  As we plunge into our Bibles, the stories become familiar; we forget the wonder of God's tale, loss the awe of holding in our hands the very Word of God.

LORD, please forgive us for not taking Your Word seriously.  Forgive us for allowing Your miraculous work in the world, both in ancient times and now, both globally and personally, from becoming routine.  Open our eyes again, Papa!  Give us eyes to see the world as You do.  Give us a passion for Your truth.  Send us with fire to go love the world, to see Your kingdom come and Your will be done.  Amen.