A story written by committee
Writing by committee
Back in the day when I taught 3rd grade, I once tried committee story writing. ONCE. (That should tell you how well it worked.)
One student wrote a sentence. Then they passed the paper to the next student. They read the first sentence and added another single sentence. Next, the 3rd student read the first 2 sentences and added their own. This continued all around the room.
When everyone had added to the story, it was my turn to read through everything and somehow bring the story to a close. Then I read the committee story to the class.
The end result was hilarious. We had unicorns and dinosaurs and aliens. There was no cohesive storyline or main character. Some students got upset when their attempt to turn the story in a particular direction was by-passed for something else. All in all, it was a mess.
Lesson: You can’t write a story by committee.
Unless you are God
As we begin our 2023 journey through the Miracles of the Old Testament, we have to start with this basic fact: The Bible as a Whole is a Miracle Book.
- Miracle of Inspiration – Every word. Every minute detail within the pages was given to men of old BY GOD.
- Miracle of Ancientness – As a whole, it took about 1,500 years to write. It has existed in its completed form for almost 2,000 years, yet it is still read today. It increases in circulation every year.
- Miracle of Accuracy – Archaeology continues to prove the accuracy time and again.
- Miracle of Harmony – Written by a committee of some 40 men over some 1500 years, all 66 book agree. There are 333 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus. The New Testament quotes 278 Old Testament references word-for-word, 100 partly word-for-word, and 124 incidents merely mentioned. There were 29 known Old Testament authors and 8 known New Testament authors. Moses wrote the first book, Genesis. John wrote the last, Revelation. Here are a few comparisons from the two:
- Miracle of Preservation – Scriptures have been burnt, banned, and cause for execution. But it still endures.
- Miracle of Abiding Power – Despite being an ancient text, the words within the pages still have the power to transform lives today! It is indeed a living, active, 2-edged sword.
- Miracle of Circulation – An ancient book, written by committee thousands of years old is an international best seller. It has been translated into well-over 1,000 languages. In the US alone, it sells
- 20 million copies each year, or
- 1.66 million each month, or
- 384,615 per week, or
- 54,945 per day, or
- 2,289 per hour, or
- 38 per minute.
- That’s 6.4 Bibles every 10 seconds – just in the United States. And the US accounts for 25% of all newly printed Bible sales per year.
Glorious work!
None of this committee work was accidental. God designed this volume for us. We just need to spend more time in it.
If someone tell you that God no longer does miracles, just ask them if He has ever used a 2,000 year-old book to speak to them.
That. Is a miracle.
What it means for me:
God supernaturally combined the words into a love letter and battle plan. I should spend time daily within the pages to that He can communicate with me.
13Prayers – Just as a reminder, these are the 13 prayers I am praying for you. For a deeper look, click here.
Let me know a Scripture that speaks to you these days.
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