This is the last in a four-part series on the value and beauty of the Bible. The longest chapter in Scripture is a love poem, but its theme isn’t romance or sex or adventure or nature…it’s the Bible itself. The writer of Psalm 119 understood that the greatest beauty in the world is God’s Word. (Be sure to go back and read Part 1: “The Bible Is Revelation from God, Not Enlightened Thoughts About God,” Part 2: “The Bible Is Life-Giving Law,” and Part 3: “The Bible Is a Story of God’s Deeds, Not Ours”)
The writer of Psalm 119 says that the Word of God has more value to him “than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (119:72). He even says that he holds his own life lightly, but clings to the Word like a life raft (119:109). I wonder what it might take for us to honestly say that about the Bible.
The problem isn’t that we don’t know how valuable the Bible is. The problem is that we have never brought our practice in line with our beliefs. For instance, if I offered you $500,000 to never touch the Bible again—never read it, hear it, talk about it, or even think about it—would you accept that deal? I’m guessing you’d say “no.” But think about that: you’ve just identified the Bible as an asset worth over $500K. Is there any other $500K asset you would simply ignore? If that shows you the value you place on the Word, why are you not devouring it?
What level of importance does the Bible have in your life? In your family’s life? Parents, if you found out that some kind of predator was in your neighborhood, and you let your kids go out and play without supervision, you’d be bad parents. And Scripture tells us that there is an Enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for people to destroy. Our kids’ only hope—our only hope—is Scripture. Because the best way to confront a lie is to know the truth.
When Satan attacked Jesus, Jesus quoted Scripture. What will your kids comes up with when Satan attacks them? He will. In fact, he already is. You see, Jesus didn’t try to outwit Satan, though he probably could have. He didn’t try to exert his divine might to drive Satan away, though he could have. Instead, he did what you and I can do: he quoted Scripture.
(And—for the objectors out there—Jesus had to learn Scripture, too. Luke points out that Jesus wasn’t born with the Bible memorized. In other words, he went to AWANA, too.)
I know American families are busy. But we have got to guard our kids’ time and the amount of extracurricular stuff they’re involved in. It honestly won’t make any difference in the world if our kids know everything to know about Taylor Swift or Lebron James if they can’t talk through 1 Timothy or Lamentations. I want my family to be so saturated in the Word that when life cuts them, they bleed Bible.
The Word of God is light. It is life. It is salvation. It was with a word that God created everything we see. It was by a word that Jesus gave sight to the blind, healed the sick, and forgave sins. It was by a word that Jesus was raised from the dead. By a word, Revelation says, God will destroy the works of the Enemy and make all things new. And it is by the Word that God will free you from addiction, piece back together the broken shards of your marriage, heal your broken body, make you whole again.
You and I may not always treasure the Word as we should. And we’re not alone in that. The writer of Psalm 119 ends with this: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.” Throughout the psalm, you see, there is a tension. On one side, the psalmist says, “God, I hate double-mindedness! And I love your Word.” But on the other side, he often says, “I am double-minded. And I love other things more.” So does he love the Word or not?
Here’s the answer: he wants to love it, but he knows his heart is divided. So he resolves to love the Word and pleads with God to bring his heart into line.
That’s an encouragement to wandering hearts like mine. I may not love the Word as I should. But Christian growth begins by confessing to God what I’m not—a lover of the Word—and asking God to make me what I should be.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! Prone to leave the God I love. Take my heart, O, take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above!
