From Deron Spoo
By looking at only ten words, you may wonder if I’m diminishing the value of all the other words of Scripture. On the contrary. By exploring a few words, I believe the remaining words of the Bible will come into sharper focus.
In November 1863, Abraham Lincoln stood on a famous Civil War battlefield and delivered the Gettysburg Address, a speech consisting of just ten sentences and 300 words. Immediately prior to the now famous address, a man named Edward Evertt delivered a speech that lasted for two hours. After Lincoln spoke, Evertt admitted, “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”
No doubt his listeners that day wished the same.
Instead of allowing ourselves to become intimidated by the 750,000 words of the Bible, let’s narrow our focus to only ten words that explore the Scripture’s central message. As we begin, let me offer a little practical advice.
This book is meant to be a pilgrimage, not a footrace. No prizes are given for finishing first. But ample treasure awaits in store for those who practice patience.
At the end of my exploration of each word, I offer a prayer worth praying and a few questions worth asking. In addition, I include three or four suggestions of other places in Scripture where this word or the idea behind it can be found. But don’t be limited by my selection. Break out a concordance! Invite others to join you on the journey of relishing in ten words that will reveal a bit more of the God of the Bible.