Monday, November 19, 2012
Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.
THANKFUL FOR MY BIBLE
A pastor at a recent conference asked us to name our most valued earthly possession. We thought about that for a moment, and then he said, "Isn't it your Bible!?!"
What is your Bible made of? If it has been around a few years it may be bound in leather. If it's a more recent edition, it's probably made of some imitation material. Or maybe your Bible is a simple hardcover, or even a paperback. Whatever its make-up, it was put together by human machinery using earthly materials. In that sense it's an earthly possession.
But, of course, your Bible is not just any earthly possession. Every word in it, from Genesis through Revelation, is God's inspired, perfect, timeless truth. How thankful we are to have God's own written Word in our very hands, and in our own language. How happy I can be to open it up and know that God Himself is speaking directly to me.
Yes, how wonderful to pick up that Book and seek out its priceless treasure. For when we turn those blessed pages we keep finding Jesus, Who shed His blood to wash us clean of all sin. We find a loving God Who took on our humanity and suffered death and hell to give us forgiving peace, along with unending life in a new and better home.
When we read and study it, we find promises that speak to our hearts, instilling within us courage to face life in a sin-broken world. We find our Father's heavenly guidance to help us as fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, workers and neighbors. We find real answers to life's most perplexing questions. We find transforming power to live for Him Who died and rose for all. We find all of that, and so much more!
So pick up that amazing Book. Go ahead, pick it up! As you do, whisper a prayer of thanks to your Lord, Who put His Word into your hands, into your heart, and into your mouth. But don't stop there. Open it up! Drink it in! Rejoice in it as one who find great treasure!
Oh, may these heavenly pages be My ever dear delight;
And still new beauties may I see And still increasing light!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 284:5)
