Cherishing A Treasure Unlike Any Other

As I picked up my Bible to start my daily reading, I reflected on how this practice isn’t some religious ritual, but rather my means for building upon the relationship God began with me decades ago. And I choose the words, God began with me, very intentionally. There’s no question in my mind that the Lord was the one who pursued me – what poet Francis Thompson called “the Hound of Heaven” – when I had little interest in pursuing Him.

I don’t treasure my Bible because of its pages and print, ink and paper, but because through this book I encounter the God of all eternity and creation – His love, His wisdom, His grace, His guidance, and His truth.

 

Unlike days long ago when I casually attended church – it was a ritual of sorts then – finding God in the Scriptures has become my lifeline. At one time I vaguely sensed there had to be a divine deity; now I know this without doubt because of all He’s done in my life; the truths and principles He has taught me through His Word, and the wonderful people I’ve been privileged to meet over the years who count it their honor and privilege to be “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

 

Similar to the blind man who received sight from Jesus (John 9:13-39), I once was blind spiritually but now I see. I can identify with the apostle Paul’s bold declaration in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believe: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” There’s absolutely nothing like it.

 

As someone whose financial picture was once totally upside-down, in the Bible I’ve found simple yet profound principles for managing money, starting with the truism, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

 

For a person who used to have little idea about where my life was headed, I’ve often pondered and applied the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” That assurance and its out-workings haven’t failed me yet.

 

In a world in which a lack of sense – or nonsense – seems so prevalent, the Scriptures clearly tell us where to go for wisdom and how to forgo foolishness: “The proverbs of Solomon…for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and fair…. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:1-2,7).

 

Years ago, I met a business leader who had spent much of his life reading self-help and motivational books, listening to taped messages on how to become a success, and using other resources for personal growth. Then he discovered the Bible and started reading it. In short order he disposed of all his other “motivators” and relied exclusively upon the Scriptures not only for guidance as a corporate executive but also for every area of his life.

 

Rather than self-help, the Bible affirms how desperately we need God’s help – His empowerment – to live as He intended and according to the way He designed us. In John 15:7 Jesus declared to His disciples, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (of eternal value). Piggybacking on that, the apostle Paul affirmed, “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Many times, I’ve been faced with a challenge and thought, ‘I can’t do this!’ Through His Word the Lord has reminded me, ‘I know. But I can do it through you!’

 

As you’ve noticed if you’re a regular reader, I like to include a lot of Scripture in my writings. That’s because my opinions alone aren’t worth a dime – which isn’t worth much anyway. But in the Bible, we find God’s opinions, which are priceless – they’re the only ones that matter.

This current calendar year is winding to a close. I would hope – and encourage – that if you’re not already doing so, in the next year you’d determine to make meaningful time in the Word of God a regular part of your day. To my way of thinking, there’s no downside to it. 

Of All the Opinions Only One Really Counts

These days everyone seems to have an opinion. I’ve often said, being one myself, that journalists have an opinion on everything – whether they know anything about it or not. And we’re being bombarded with these opinions, often nestled indistinguishably in the reporting of news.

 

But journalists are hardly alone among the opinionated. As the holidays approach, we’re reminded that when families gather for feasts and festivities, it’s often wise to hold opinions to ourselves if we’re to avoid familial civil wars.

 

Our schools – whether at the elementary, middle school or high school levels, and especially in colleges and universities, our institutions of higher learning – increasingly deliver as much opinion as academic curricula. Students at many schools are being exposed to as much ideology as they are geology, sociology and biology.

 

Opinions abound, of course, at every level of politics. Sadly, it seems you can’t support a particular party without fully accepting its opinions and biased perspectives. It used to be we could go to the movies or watch TV to be entertained. Now, story lines are littered with thinly disguised opinions on virtually every area of social conduct and discourse.

 

So, with all these opinions flying around us and infiltrating our minds, which ones are we to believe? I have some opinions on that – ha, ha! But if you’ve been reading my posts for any length of time, you’re aware that in my view ultimately there’s only one opinion that counts: God’s. Which is why, no matter which topic I choose to write about, the question I always ask is, “What does the Bible say about that?”

I know there are those who would disagree, but I’m convinced that on many matters the Scriptures are unequivocal in what they say. For instance, they’re very clear on the uses and abuses of money and material things. (I’ll write more about that another time.) The Bible offers straight-forward guidelines about relationships – within marriage; outside of marriage; parents and children; friendships; bosses, employees, coworkers and subordinates; and even strangers.

 

The prevailing social culture might – and often does – look at issues in stark contrast to what the Scriptures present, but cultural trends come and go. God is eternal and unchanging: “Jesus Christ is the same today and yesterday and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

 

Another verse from the same New Testament book tells us of the Bible’s very personal impact on those who read it and honestly consider what it has to say: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

 

Perhaps my favorite passage about the intrinsic value of the Word of God is 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which declares, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

The Bible doesn’t speak specifically about some topics. Take, for example, texting while driving or getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. However, its principles do address it, I believe. We read, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) and operating a motor vehicle while distracted or impaired and getting into an accident that results in someone’s death is tantamount to murder. 

 

The rest of the Ten Commandments cover a wide range of human behavior, including theft, sex outside of the marriage bond, lying and being dishonest, envying what others have, having respect for parents and those in authority, and especially our relationship with God. 

 

Much of the Bible is effectively elaborating on what Jesus regarded as the two greatest commandments: “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

I’ve yet to find an issue or topic of major consequence the Lord does not address in His Word, directly or indirectly. So, while I try to listen to and consider the viewpoints of others, even those that differ drastically from my own, it’s settled in my mind that God’s opinion is the only one that really matters. And that serves as the underlying motive for what I write.

Tried and True Tip for Not Falling Apart

The leather binding was wrinkled and torn, and the pages were tattered and faded, all signs of a Bible lovingly and well read for many years. A friend brought this with her to our small group recently, a family treasure she’d inherited from her grandmother. Reminding me of the “show and tell” presentations we did in elementary school years ago, she used the old Bible as a visual aid in telling her spiritual journey.

 

This copy of the Scriptures, practically an antique, was a visible testament to the departed matriarch’s steadfast faith. It served as tangible evidence of how her devotion to the Lord continues to shine many years after her passing.

 

Have you ever seen someone carrying a tattered, extremely worn Bible? If so, what was your reaction? Did you think, “That guy (or gal) needs a new Bible”? Perhaps. But on the rare occasions I see this, the adage comes to mind that says, “When you see someone with a Bible that’s falling apart, it’s usually being carried by someone who isn’t.” Because in most cases, that’s the truth.

 

Since I like to highlight key passages and make notes in margins, I prefer to start fresh with new Bibles once they’ve reached a certain stage of use. Fortunately, during the 17 years I served as a magazine editor for a parachurch ministry, I occasionally received review copies of Bibles. So, I’ve had the luxury of being able to study an assortment of translations and editions of the Bible.

 

However, I still have my very first King James Version Bible, which I received as a confirmation gift at the church I attended during my youth. I literally read it cover to cover during my senior year of high school as a personal goal, even though I must admit to not understanding much of it at the time. I also have the first modern translation Bible I ever purchased, in the New American Standard translation.

 

I’ve since learned that the front-to-back approach isn’t necessarily the best. Genesis and Exodus, with their rich narratives about God’s chosen but very flawed people, offer engaging reading. But for me, trying to wade through Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy often felt like I was wandering in the wilderness with the Israelites. It helped when I discovered the practice of reading from both the Old and the New Testaments concurrently. When the going seemed to bog down in an Old Testament passage, shifting to the New Testament for a while felt like coming up for air.

 

Getting back to the idea of someone not falling apart that possesses a Bible that is, I’ve encountered a number of such folks through the years. Maybe they weren’t so dedicated to making notations while they were reading, or just regarded their well-used Bibles as old friends – and how can you discard old friends who have spent so much time with you?

 

In any case, the common denominator for them all was they had a solid grasp on the Word of God – and more importantly, God had a solid grasp on them.

 

This isn’t to suggest that possessing a worn-out Bible is a guarantee that a person is godly, a devout follower of Christ. But if someone’s only copy of the Scriptures is still in mint condition, with its pages still stuck together, it sure wouldn’t hurt for them to crack it open from time to time. God might just have something interesting to tell them.

 

When we encounter the people in the Bible God had chosen to lead His people, they were always people who spent a lot of time with Him and His Word. Three times in the first nine verses of the book of Joshua, God tells the book’s namesake, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6,7,9). How was he to do that? Nestled in the midst of those verses is this admonition: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Joshua 1:8).

 

To meditate on God’s Word requires becoming very familiar with it, thinking about it and reflecting on it often. Even though King David was known as “a man after God’s heart,” that didn’t mean he was perfect by any means. But he wisely observed, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11).

 

I think of one other passage that serves as a reminder that if our Bible is the worse for wear, we’re all the better for it. Challenging his protégé Timothy as a young man in ministry, the apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

A car with the tread worn down on its tires might not be a good thing, but a Bible showing signs it’s traveled many miles along someone’s spiritual journey is almost always a good thing. 

Not All There Is to Know, But All We Need to Know

How many books have you read more than once? It may seem bold to ask this question, since reading books is becoming a thing of the past for many people. What with all the channels on cable TV, the Internet, video games, text messaging and other distractions, who has time to read, right?

 

But for those who still enjoy the feel of a tangible book, the rustle of pages turning, the smell of paper and ink, and the adventure of discovering what the author has packed inside the book, I ask again: How many books have you read more than once? (Comic books don’t count.)

 

Personally, I’ve enjoyed reading a few classic novels a second or even third time. I’ve re-read George Orwell’s 1984 several times because his cautionary, dystopian tale appears to be unfolding right before our eyes, in real time. There are several books by Christian authors I’ve revisited, seeking to draw from their wells of wisdom again. 

 

There’s one book, however, that I have read cover to cover well over a dozen times. Perhaps you can guess what it is: the Bible. If I were to begin using adjectives to describe what the Bible – the Word of God – has meant for me over the years, I’d have to consult a thesaurus to cover all the bases. Words like amazing, incredible, and life-changing can’t begin to capture the impact of the Scriptures.

 

Why have I read it so much? Not because I expect any divine pats on the back or “extra credit.” It’s just that as I’ve read through the Bible year after year, I’ve found it kind of like peeling an onion – remove one layer and discover there’s another layer right below it, then another, and another. I’m convinced that an entire lifetime of reading through the Scriptures could barely begin to capture its vast treasures.

 

There are many reasons for this. Its length is one. One Bible I regularly use for reference has nearly 1,550 pages of purely biblical text – no footnotes, and not including the compilers’ introduction, table of contents, foreword, and index. Since it consists of 39 Old Testament books and 27 in the New Testament, written by dozens of different authors, there’s a lot to read from a variety of perspectives.

 

In the Bible we find narratives, history, poetry, letters, personal accounts, and other forms of writing, all pointing to one central theme: Jesus Christ and God’s plan for the redemption of His creation, most notably, humankind. That’s a lot to absorb.

 

But there’s another reason why the Scriptures are so compelling, so intriguing that they can be read again and again and again without ever seeming stale. The secret, I believe, is found in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judged the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

 

The best novel, or a classic book that has endured centuries, might be fun to read again, but it will always say the same things. The Bible, however, has the uncanny capacity to speak to us differently each time we read it. That is, God through His Word can speak to us differently every time. This is because as we continue in our journey through life, we encounter the Scriptures in new ways, depending on what we’re experiencing and how we’ve changed.

 

An old friend, an agnostic, once told me that he regarded the Bible as “a primer, something you read once, and then you move on to something more sophisticated.” No offense intended, but I think that might be one of the most ridiculous things anyone has ever said. Because nothing is more comprehensive, profound, penetrating, and timeless as the Word of God. Its principles, principles and truths have transcended the ages and will continue doing so until Christ’s promised return. 

 

At the same time, I have no problem acknowledging the Bible doesn’t tell us all there is to know about God. How could it? But it does tell us all we need to know about God.

 

I like how 2 Peter 1:3-4 expresses it: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires.”

 

Back in 1966, a movie came out called “Alfie,” starring Michael Caine. Its theme song asked, “What’s it all about?” This is a question that resonates with millions of people to this day. We ask things such as, “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What’s my purpose in life?” “Where do I find meaning?” The Scriptures, I can say without any reservation, answer each of these questions – and many more – if we’re only willing to give them an honest, open-minded look.

 

In the longest of the Psalms, the writer asks and then answers, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11).

 

We live in a world that seems spinning out of control. I believe it’s primarily because we’ve turned our backs on our Creator, the One who has laid out for us in His Word how we should live. As the King James Version puts it, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). Another translation says it a bit differently – “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.” But then the verse ends, “but happy is he who keeps [God’s] law.”

As wondrous as the Bible is, the divinely inspired Word of God, it’s barely the tip of the proverbial iceberg about all that is possible to know about Him. But it definitely tells us all we need to know about Him. 

Most Amazing Fact in the Bible

The Bible, the best-selling book ever, has been translated in entirety into more than 635 languages. The New Testament has been translated into more than 1,440 languages. The Bible is comprised of 66 separate “books” – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament – with nearly 3,000 languages having at least one of those books. But these statistics pale in comparison to the astonishing array of facts, truths, teachings and principles presented in the Bible, all believed to have been written and compiled under the inspiration of God.

With that in mind, if someone were to ask, “What’s the most amazing fact in the Bible?” how would you respond?

One might be tempted to reply, “Where do I start? There are so many things that we could cite.” But recently, reading a book about the early history of CBMC – a ministry to business and professional men – I came across a statement that caused me to nod in agreement, “Yes, that is the most amazing fact in the Bible.” What is it? I won’t keep you in suspense for long.

In the book was the story of Waldo Yeager of Toledo, Ohio, one of CBMC’s early leaders. He had written a gospel tract called “Life’s Most Amazing Fact,” and was explaining to another leader in his city what that “fact” was.

Yeager proceeded to acknowledge that in their community he would have been widely considered “a good sort of fellow, an average businessman at least, a good husband and father. But people don’t really know me. My wife and my two boys know me a little better than you do, and they are quite charitable with me…. But you know, even they don’t really know me.”

Then he concluded, “There’s only one Person who really does know me, and that’s God Himself. He knows all about me, my weaknesses, the myriad things I would not dare to expose, even to my own family. Yes, He knows all about me, and here’s the amazing fact – He still loves me!”

That, in the proverbial nutshell, is the most amazing fact in the Bible. God, the holy, all-knowing, omnipresent deity that many of us worship, knows each one of us – faults, imperfections, sins and all – and still loves us. That’s truly justifies the adjective, amazing.

Most of us do reasonably well at maintaining a good front. We like people to think highly of us, and have become skilled at showing our most favorable side – unless, of course, someone really ticks us off, in which case our facades come down. We want folks to say of us, “He’s a good guy,” or “She’s a nice woman.” But in the presence of God – which is all the time – He knows us as we really are on the inside.

As King David wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast…. Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:7-24).

Elsewhere in the Scriptures, we’re reminded, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10). From childhood, we begin cultivating the skill of acting as if we have it all together, even when we don’t. No sense letting people see us at our worst, right? As Abraham Lincoln once said, we can fool all the people some of the time.

But God isn’t deceived. He knows who we truly are, on the inside as well as out. And He still loves us! That, as Waldo Yeager said many years ago, is the most amazing fact in the Bible.

Putting Enduring, Practical Principles to Use

The person with a well-used Bible rarely has a misused life.

“God will never give you a principle in His Word that you cannot implement.”

A longtime friend made this statement during a retreat recently. Sounds bold and all-encompassing, doesn’t it? What, no exceptions? Well, he didn’t stop there, adding, “When you follow biblical principles, you can never go wrong.”

There are those who would beg to differ, but my friend, Albert, spoke from a vast storehouse of personal experience. A survivor of the ravages of World War II as a boy in the Netherlands, and then more than three years of treatment for tuberculosis, he and his wife eventually immigrated to the United States, where they raised a family and he forged a successful business career.

However, his life has hardly fit the proverbial “bowl of cherries” description. In addition to suffering from a variety of other health maladies, some nearly fatal, Albert’s had his share of business setbacks. And yet, since committing his life to Jesus Christ at the age of 40, he’s found that any time he has encountered a biblical principle and determined to apply it, it’s proven to be sound and practical.

Principles he’s implemented range from decision-making, indebtedness, giving, avoiding surety (becoming obligated for the debts of others), communications, leadership, even rejecting bankruptcy as an option in times of severe financial reversal.

One of the paramount principles Albert has followed comes from 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” With that as the foundation for approaching each day, thoughts and actions can be guided by what the Lord teaches in the Scriptures about right living, working and playing.

I have made the same discovery over the years, both firsthand and through the insights of hundreds of people I’ve had the privilege of interviewing for articles and books. God doesn’t promise any of us pain-free, worry-free lives. Existing in an imperfect world, we’re all affected by its brokenness. But following the truths and principles presented in the Bible helps to make our journey over the bumps and potholes of every day a bit smoother.

Although the Scriptures were written and passed on thousands of years ago, they remain relevant and meaningful – if only we’re willing to consider them with open, receptive minds. As Hebrews 4:12-13 declares, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow…. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

If we’re looking for direction, wisdom in how to successfully navigate the challenges life inevitably presents, we’re wise to embrace the biblical principles God has graciously provided. Israel’s King David, who experienced his share of stumbles over the course of his own life, observed,

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your (God’s) word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have had hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9-11).

How can we know for certain? What if we try to implement a biblical principle, especially one that seems counter-intuitive to the world around us, and we wind up in a ditch?

God doesn’t seem at all worried about that. In one particular area – generous giving – He even invites us to put Him to the test: “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’” (Malachi 3:10).

Speaking with the voice of experience, Albert said, “A loving father will never ask you to do something that is not good for you. And our God is truly a loving Father.”