My Porridge Is Just Right

I remember growing up hearing many of the nursery rhymes. There was one about Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks had arrived at the bears home and sat at the table. One chair was too hard, one too soft, and one just right. The porridge was the same thing, one too hot, one too cold, and one just right. The beds also were too firm, too fluffy, and just right. There is more to the story with the arrival of the three bears- papa, mama, and baby bear. I wasn’t as interested in the story as I was that everyone had a different taste or need – hard to soft, hot to cold, firm to fluffy. My mom had sent me a wonderful quote that tells us about God’s word. Just as the porridge remained food, God’s word remains His letter to us. It is just that it ministers to us in different ways depending on the depth of our knowledge and faith. It was a quote from St. Jerome and this is what it said, "The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning, and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom." Just as the food that a baby eats is different from what a full grown adult eats, so we have differing levels of maturity in the faith and receptiveness to God’s word. We often hear the concept of water representing the Word of God or the Holy Spirit. We are also told to come and drink freely from the water that God gives, that we might thirst no more. The new believer has a great passion to read and learn from God, but they don’t have the foundation on which to build yet. If they read some of the challenging passages to understand, they might get frustrated or give up. There is plenty for them to drink and take in without drowning in a sea of doubt. On the other side is the theologian that often has a deeper and greater understanding of that Word that is given. This same Scripture that the new believer drinks from is the same word that the learned seek. The theologian dives in, as he studies and seeks God’s truth. The great teachers and preachers will never reach the depth of what we can learned on this side of heaven. I challenge you to read the Bible over and over, gaining deeper understanding each time. Holy Spirit, open up Your word to us that we might not just wade in the word, but discover deep truths. Amen