Hebrews 5:12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
Recently,
I took part in an online survey from a large Christian publishing house. The
company was trying to promote yet another new version of the Bible, and the
survey dealt mostly with the packaging and cover of the book. It was
interesting to complete because the publishers were asking pastors their views
on how the new Bible should be marketed to people in the congregations that we serve.
I must admit, the whole process made me actually wonder whether or not we truly
need another version of the Bible at all!
Never
before in the history of Christianity has the Word of God been more accessible
to people everywhere. Folks can read the Bible in traditional book form, or as
e-books online, on their laptops and notebooks, as well as on their mobile
devices and smart phones. It is instantly available, practically anywhere on
the planet, so no one can have the excuse of not being able to find a Bible to
read. However, it appears that people are actually reading the Bible less and
less; even although we have it literally at our fingertips, Christians are
become Biblically illiterate and so end up creating their own ideas, opinions,
and beliefs about God.
You
don’t think so? Ponder this: two generations ago, most church people could
recite the Ten Commandments, say the Lord’s Prayer, name the twelve disciples, and
quote a whole list of Bible verses. Three generations ago, they could do all of
that, as well as listing the books of the Bible, and stating the chapters where
you could read all of those things. Sadly today, people who often quote that we
should not judge each other because Jesus said so, or that we should all love
one another because He commanded it, could not tell where to actually find
those sayings in the Gospels (Matthew 7 and John 13).
As
Christians, we ought to be People of the Book, not for legalistic reasons, but
because the Word of God needs to be cherished in our lives. Daily readings
should be a constant in our daily lives because each day that we wake up, is
actually a gift from God in the first place.
I
think it is time to recommit ourselves to a quiet devotional retreat with God’s
Word every day. It’s not hard to get back into the habit – think about it, there
are things that we do each day without burdening ourselves – like reading the
newspaper, catching up with folks on Facebook, or even watching a nightly TV show.
It can be done, but only if we truly want to do it.
Questions for personal
reflection
Am I really too busy to spend time alone with God in prayer
and Bible reading? Who gave me this life I am living anyway?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to follow You
and grow in faith. Help us to recognize how important the Scriptures were to
You, and how crucial they are in our spiritual lives today. Give us the focus
and determination to set aside some quality time with You, Your Words, and Your
Way. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the
pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like
to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s Lent bulletin drawings for this year. If you would like
to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Lent
Bulletin Cover.
