Psalm 119:129-136
Every word you give me is a miracle word - how could I help but obey? Break open your words, let the light shine out, let ordinary people see the meaning. Mouth open and panting, I wanted your commands more than anything.
Turn my way, look kindly on me, as you always do to those who personally love you. Steady my steps with your Word of promise so nothing malign gets the better of me. Rescue me from the grip of bad men and women so I can live life your way. Smile on me, your servant; teach me the right way to live. I cry rivers of tears because nobody's living by your book!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, friends of mine traveled to a nearby city to stand in line until past midnight – in costume – to get the latest Harry Potter books! They were not alone. Thousands of people around the world clamored for each new release and stormed bookstores to wait in line and be among the first to get each copy. This has been repeated with the Twilight series and many others… as well as the latest releases of electronic gadgets, music albums, and more.
When was the last time you saw a line at a bookstore for the latest release of a Bible translation? Can you imagine people dressing up like Adam and Eve, Queen Esther, Moses, Noah, Ruth and Naomi, or others whose stories are told in the Bible? Can you picture a young girl dressed as Miriam, holding a wicker basket with a baby Moses, standing in line for the latest daily devotional Bible or even a new book written by someone like Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen or T.D. Jakes? Yet people talk for weeks about the anticipation of seeing a movie like The Hunger Games – and finishing the book beforehand.
When we consider that the words of the Bible are “miracle words” that steady our steps and rescue us from the “grip of bad men and women,” how can we help but find these comparisons a bit absurd… and downright embarrassing for those of us who claim to be faith-filled Christians? I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with Harry Potter or any other series of books. I think reading is a wonderful past-time and a great way to expand the mind and the imagination. But I find it amazing that people can read book after book… stay up all hours of the night and day reading… and seldom (if ever) crack open the Book of Life.
The psalmist concludes this passage by saying he cries rivers of tears because nobody is living by the Bible. To me, an equally sad consideration is that few are reading the Bible in the first place. The first step is to set aside time each day for even a verse or two of scripture. Meditate on this… consider what God is telling you with His Holy word. If we would trade reading a few pages in our favorite series for a few minutes spent studying a scripture passage, I think we would be amazed at how our lives could be transformed.
I count myself among those who have not truly given the Bible a fair enough shot. I have found other things to occupy my time. Were it not for the writing of these daily devotionals, I daresay I would not read scripture each and every day… and I do not say this proudly. But we can change! We can begin today to set aside time to spend in God’s word… and we can still have plenty of time for reading other books and participating in countless activities. I am confident that the few minutes or more spent in God’s word each day will make everything else so much better. It’s a theory I’m ready to test… are you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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