I always loved the songs we sang as children growing up in the church. It might be because my mom sang them all the time with us. Today I hear our grandchildren singing the same songs, and it warms my heart. On of those song was “The B-I-B-L-E.” Today I read these verses and it made me think of that little chorus: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:6-7).
I am sure thankful to God that I have this incredible book to open in front of me every day. I must admit that I didn’t always open the book every day. When I was a boy, we respected and revered the Word of God. It has been the standard in my home every since I was born (and even before I was born). As a teenager, I loved it, but I did not read it on a consistent basis. Even as a Bible College student I was not reading my Bible for my own personal benefit every day. When I first got into the ministry, I was not reading my Bible every day. This is hard for me to admit. I frankly am embarrassed to tell you this is true, but it was not my practice.
After my first year in ministry, I went to visit an “older” pastor for some advice on something I was facing in the ministry. As he came into the room we were meeting, he asked me an interesting question. He entered the room and said, “I know you have something you wanted to discuss with me, but could I take a moment to tell you about what I read in the Bible this morning?” Of course, out of respect for him, I agreed. For the next hour and a half, he reveled in what he had read in his Bible reading time that morning.
The longer he talked, the more convicted I became. I had not even read my Bible that day, and he could not stop talking with youthful enthusiasm about what God had shown him that morning! He made this statement during his talk with me: “I don’t know how a man can claim to be a man of God and not be in the Word of God every day!” I agreed! I still agree. I began the next morning to plan to read my Bible every day. That was thirty-seven ago, and I am still madly in love with my Bible. I am thankful that God gave us His Word … purified it … and preserved it for us to use. If God went through all that effort, the least I can do is read it, and give it a place of prominence in my thinking, and in my life. I am thankful that the B-I-B-L-E is still the Book for me. I will stand alone on it and it’s promises today just like I did as a little boy in Sunday School class! It still works! Will you join me every morning with an open Bible in front of you?