On a recent
mission trip, I experienced a sad reality.
Our team was sent out into desperately poor neighborhoods where we
knocked on doors and spread the Good News about God’s love for them and about a
new church with a great pastor in town.
We entered into kind conversation.
Whether they believed that God really could love them or cared whether
God loved them or not, they were always courteous.
I have
never been turned down so many times when I offered a Bible. You would think that at least they might take
it and try to sell it or something.
Perhaps they said no for holy
reasons; they saw it as special and they knew they were not going to read it so
better to leave it for someone who would read it. It was a strange experience to have so many
people say no when asked if they
wanted to have a Bible.
When I stop
and think about it, how many of us have said no to the Bible today? We
have the very words of God written down in a handy collection, but our life
choices demonstrate that we think it is nice that there might be a God out
there who loves us, yet we don’t think highly enough of Him to believe His
Words should have any impact in our lives.
I’ve
developed a habit of reading the Bible when I was 16 years old so I have read
it over and over. I can’t get to the
end. It is always relevant to my
life. The stories never grow old! I have gotten so attached to reading the
Bible daily that even if I am in a situation where I don’t have time in the
morning, I won’t leave the house without at least having a word or phrase from
the Bible to take with me into the day.
I may not be able to have my regular routine of devotions, yet the one
word from Scripture is essential for me.
What I’m
trying to say is that I don’t see myself as someone who says No to the Bible. Yet each time another person declined the
Bible I offered them, I began to take a deeper look at myself. When do I say No to the Bible? I do stop
to get that word or phrase for the day, but many days I cannot recall it when I
try. (I write it down because I can’t remember.) I don’t think of it again
until I’m in a tight spot or confusing situation, and I try to think what did
God say to me today. I often have to go
and look at what I wrote down. My normal
way of living my life is to read the Bible then live what comes naturally to me
and only consult it when I get to a decision or situation where I don’t know
what to do.
God has
given us His Word. After Jesus and the
Holy Spirit, it is the most amazing gift we have been given. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I
have been given a God-breathed tool that is useful for the most important
training of my time in this world. It
teaches me, rebukes me, corrects me and trains me to be a righteous servant and
fully aware of every good work God sends for me to do! I want to stop saying No to the Bible.
Copyright © 2015. Deborah R Newman
teatimeforyoursoul.com All Rights
Reserved.
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