A Journal of Joy: Things that make my heart smile…
By Barbara Dahlgren
I’ve always enjoyed reading poetry. In school, we studied the poems of Robert Burns, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Eugene Fields, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, etc. More modern poets of the 20th century would be Maya Angelou and one my children loved Shel Silverstein. Poetry allows us to experience ideas with creative imagery.
Many don’t realize that about 30% of the Bible was written in poetic form. Whole books such as Psalms, Proverbs, and Job are poetic. Much of Old Testament prophecy is in poetic form. What isn’t written in poetic form in the Bible still has many elements of figurative language such as similes and metaphors.
Being a student of literature, I am familiar with similes and metaphors. Both are used to make comparisons. Similes use the word “like” to make a comparison. For example, “life is like a box of chocolates” comes from the movie Forrest Gump. Metaphors just state the comparison. For example, “all the world’s a stage” is from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It.
I enjoy reading modern translations of the Bible such as The Message, but I also love the imagery displayed through metaphors when reading the King James, New King James, or the New International Version. I think God uses metaphors to reach out to each one of us, making it easier to identify with Him individually. The Bible is full of such metaphors. I’m sure you’ve seen these examples:
- To the architect, Jesus is the chief cornerstone (1 Peter 2:6).
- To the astronomer, Jesus is the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2).
- To the builder, Jesus is the firm foundation (Isaiah 28:16).
- To the carpenter, Jesus is the door (John 10:7).
- To the geologist, Jesus is the Rock of Ages (1 Corinthians 10:4).
- To the farmer, Jesus is the Lord of the harvest (Luke 10:2).
- To the jeweler, Jesus is the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46).
- To the herder, Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11).
This list barely scratches the surface. Throughout the Bible, we find a loving God reaching out to us, breaking down barriers, and trying to give each of us things we can identify with – examples we can relate to that lead us to Jesus. It doesn’t matter what our occupation is, what our interests are, what we are going through – there is something in the Bible we can identify with. God must love us very much to go to this much trouble.
In my personal life, I take it a step further. I imagine God saying, “Come let’s take a walk. You and I have a lot in common. Those flowers are certainly fragrant today. Did you know I am the Rose of Sharon (Solomon 2:1)? Look at that lovely stream. Did you know I can give you living water to drink and you will never thirst again (John 4:10)? Are you getting hungry? I never get hungry, but I would enjoy eating with you. Did you know I am the Bread of Life (John 3:65)?”
When I’m sick I imagine God sitting with me saying, “Don’t fret. Did you know that I am the Great Physician (John 8:22)? You need a little rest if you are going to get better and I am the giver of rest (Matthew 11:28). Things look dark for you now but I am the Light in this dark world (John 8:12).”
I love thinking about Jesus being with me. No matter what I’m doing or what I’m going through, He is there. These metaphors help me see Christ in my life all the time. When my time on earth is through Christ will be with me, whispering in my ear, “Do not fret, little one. I love you. I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).”
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Lord, thank you for the poetry of Your living Word. Be thou my vision as I read these wonderful words of life. Open my eyes so I can visualize You with me as I walk through life – every step of the way. Let everything I see, touch, or feel remind me of You and point me to You because You, and only You, are the way, the truth, the life.
