It’s the end of November. At this time of year, there is an increase in advertising, traffic, and of course- shopping. Interestingly enough, malls and department stores that have been quiet and vacant for the previous 10 months are hustling and bustling as people seek to spend lots of money on things that fit the likes/dislikes of the recipients of their purchases. People go to certain stores for certain gifts and avoid other stores that don’t have their perceived needs. People flit and float, choosing this or that as it suits them. As I was pondering the familiar pattern of appealing to momentary satisfaction in the midst of a shopping experience, I thought about how often we might approach the Bible in a similar manner.

We might pick up our Bibles more or less depending on what trial or season we are walking in. We might pick up our Bibles and look for specific passages that appeal to an emotion we are experiencing to vindicate our flesh. We might misapply the contextual meaning of what the passage is actually saying. We might even pick up our Bibles to appease an urge to feel seen that is rooted in selfishness and individualism, so we read it looking for ourselves, instead of God. When we approach the Bible in this way, I can’t help but see the act of reading the Bible as a shopping experience.

But the Bible is not a department store. We cannot read passages just to pick and choose what we like and don’t, like an item of clothing on a rack that must be tried on for size. We are tempted to individually cherry pick verses that serve our situation, as if all the fruit on the entire tree is not just as sweet. God cannot be compartmentalized into man made systems that fit neatly and nicely like sections of a retail outlet. In addition, in the midst of “shopping the Scriptures” we miss that there is nothing for purchase in them at all. There is nothing for us to buy. Jesus already paid the price for what we needed and it was something we could never afford. No amount of time, money, or effort could ever have paid the debt owed for our sin. So when we open up His Word, instead of shopping and adding a little of this or a lot of that to our cart to serve ourselves- we can remember that what He offers is free. A gift. From the good gift giver. Freedom. 

However, if we open His Word to see the redemption of ourselves first, we won’t see Him. Our view will be clouded by the question, “What does this mean for me?” We will overlook the epic storyline of His faithfulness to Israel across history in the midst of our individual neediness. We will attempt to study God as an object to investigate, instead of growing in our personal relationship with Him. Our uncomfortability with not knowing everything will drive our inability to sit in a passage and cause us to outsource quickly. We will try to know of Him, without really knowing Him at all. We will become hardened toward rebuke or honest inquisition and as a result, our witness will suffer.

The freedom that is offered to those who put their trust in Him can only be truly appreciated when we recognize how the free gift of salvation fits within the bigger story of a restoration of all things. And how the restoration of all things aligns with God’s consistent, loving character. And how His loving character is what drives His divine justice. When we zoom out, we see Him in all His majesty and glory not just as the Creator and the King, but also our Heavenly Father.

Remaining close to Him on the narrow road helps prevent our eyes from looking toward the wider path with larger aisles and more distractions. Walking the narrow road with Jesus prevents us from making the Bible a shopping experience with departments and products to sell- but rather a grand narrative of God’s persistent affection toward His image bearers in His plan to make all things new.