Before we go into the Word, we should start from the basics. I want to share about parables.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines a parable as the placing of one thing beside another with a view to comparison. It is an account depicted from life or human circumstances with the intention of setting forth a spiritual object lesson.
Wow, you might say that is a lot! Bear with me. It will all make sense shortly.
A parable tells a story in a way that the hearer can relate to, but enables them to learn a spiritual truth. Parables are fiction in themselves, but tell us something factual about the Kingdom of God.
In this week's Bible readings, there are several parables, all of which point to the Kingdom of God. They are very practical and real too.
To illustrate this, let me share about an event from my life that illustrates the truth behind the parable of the lost sheep.
I had an accident in June 2019. It resulted in a prolonged stay in Leeds hospital.
I went from walking more than 20,000 steps a day to just 10. I lost the ability to walk and to do the things I liked to do. I felt very lost as I realised the things I could do were now very limited. This put a toll on me and my family.
However, although it seemed that I had lost so much, the Lord had planned great gains for me, though I did not realise it at that time.
The parable of the lost coin, the lost son, and the lost sheep have one common thread; no matter what we lose, our Heavenly Father is always there and He will move heaven and earth on our behalf.
I am still on the journey of recovery but what I lost due to my injury has also resulted in huge gains. The gains include a stronger spiritual walk as I trusted God to work in my body, stronger relationships as I shared the journey I was on with others, and freedom from limitation as a procedure I previously couldn’t have was now available to me.
God found me when I was at a low point and restored me.
We can receive encouragement and strength when we read the Word. The parables exist to teach us about the Kingdom of God; they’re stories but when we understand them, we learn so much about God and how He works in our lives.
So, if you were asked to tell a parable from your life, what would you say?
