An old man lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern
Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at
the kitchen table reading his Bible.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to
imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa, I
try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do
understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the
Bible do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the
stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me
back a basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water
leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said,
"You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to
the river with the basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was
empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it
was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I
want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went
out of the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he
wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the
water would leak out before he got back o the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard,
but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See grandpa, it's
useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said,
"Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time
realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty
old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible.
You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will
be changed, inside and out. That is the work of God in our lives."
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