This morning my “regular” Bible which normally sits on the dresser
by my bed wasn’t there, so I reached for my study Bible on the table. I could have gone to the car and found a
compact Scripture in the glove box. Or I could have walked to the bookshelf and
retrieved several different Bibles in several different versions. And, if for some bizarre reason all my printed
books happened to have disappeared, I could have read the holy script in
electronic form on various devices belonging to my family.
Most likely your home is a lot like mine—well-stocked with
God’s Word. But though God’s Word is
readily accessible, is it rightly appreciated?
Do we love it, long for it, listen to it, and are we willing to do
whatever it takes to have it and hear it?
“On the first day of the seventh month Ezra
the priest brought the Law before the assembly…He read it aloud from daybreak
till noon”(Neh 8:2-3). The people of
Israel didn’t have scrolls of Scripture at their disposal. They couldn’t read God’s Word whenever they
wanted. The only way to have God’s Word in their homes was to hide it in their
hearts, so “all the people listened
attentively to the Book of the Law”(Neh 8:3).
When Ezra opened the book, they rose to their feet in
respect and then bowed down in worship. Hour
after hour after hour, from the time it got light until lunch, men, women, and
all the kids able to understand stood up and soaked in God’s Word. Hearing God’s Law (remember they only had the
first five books) was a gift—a present they relished. With eager excitement, they opened their ears
and their hearts to what God said.
The same approach would be wise for us. We don’t have to wait for a certain day to
hear God’s Word—it’s close by any time we wish.
We aren’t asked to stand in the sun for hours to listen—we can read in climate-controlled
comfort. So let’s not let the ease of
access and the luxury in which we listen lessen our appreciation and intensity
for God’s Word. With eager excitement,
may we open our ears and heart to what God says each day.
God’s Word is a gift.
Open, listen, and enjoy. Often.
No comments:
Post a Comment