Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
Before SUVs and minivans became the norm, there was an amazing vehicle called the station wagon. In the ’80s, it seemed like every family had one. When I was a kid, my parents had an Oldsmobile Cutlass wagon. It was light tan with fake wood trim along the sides and a luggage rack on top. Inside, it had artificial leather seats—the kind that would scorch your legs if the sun had been beating down on them. But the coolest feature of that land barge we called a car was the back seat—the one that faced backward. As a kid, that was the ultimate seat. Watching the world disappear behind us was like riding in our own secret movie theater.
Now, think about reading the Bible—especially the books from Job through the Song of Solomon. These five books are full of God’s wisdom, but we often just highlight the parts we feel comfortable with or understand. If we only pick and choose verses, we miss the richness and depth of what these books offer. When we read them fully, they take us on a more complete journey—one that reflects life itself. It’s like asking someone in a station wagon how the trip was. Everyone’s view is different, but together, they tell the whole story.
Elder family vacation to Florida in the ’80s went something like this:
Mom had already stopped by AAA to get a TripTik—a highlighted map showing the best route for our drive. Dad slept most of the day before so he could start driving at 3:00 a.m. when the roads were empty. He said that’s how he could “make up time.”
Somehow, Dad managed to pack all of our luggage into the cargo carrier on top of the car. In the front seat, he was driving and singing along to Motown hits. Mom sat beside him, checking the map, chatting with Dad, and occasionally turning around to say, “Stop goofing off in the car!”
My sister sat in the middle seat with her paper dolls and Little House on the Prairie books, trying to ignore her brothers in the back. And in that magical rear-facing seat, also known as the best seat in the car, sat me and my younger brother. As the older brother, I got him into trouble by making faces at other drivers, trying to get truckers to honk, and just generally being a pest.
If you asked each of us how the trip went, you’d get a completely different story. Dad would probably talk about whether he beat traffic through various cities. Mom might tell you about something interesting she saw on the road or how smooth the drive was. My sister would tell you how far she got in her books and how annoying her brothers were. My brother and I’d talk about how many truckers honked their horns at us and how many people made weird faces in return.
The same is true for the books of poetry, music, and wisdom in the Bible. They show us different angles of how to live a meaningful life. In Psalms, you hear from King David and others about experiencing God and living in His presence. In Proverbs, King Solomon teaches that wisdom is the key to a straight path in life. Ecclesiastes reminds us that many things in life are fleeting, like vapor. In Song of Songs, wisdom is portrayed as a lover pursuing you, and you’re invited to run toward it. Job shows us the importance of having an open hand toward God, trusting that His plan goes far beyond what we can understand.
Each book gives us a different view, and we need them all. Together, they help us walk in step with God and live a good, full life.
Stan Elder