Garrett Brewer
Long ago a man spoke these wise words:
“These hath God married and no man shall part
– dust on the Bible and drought in the heart.”
How delightful life must have been in the beginning – when God first created and all was right. The Lord gave mankind a lush garden to steward and man’s job was simple: rule over the garden and enjoy God – the Creator. Life was quite literally perfect. I can picture beautiful streams and sunsets. Long walks in the cool of the day… an unspoiled oasis of life. Yet sin brought drought, and drought brought ruin. Sin scorched the ground and all was lost. I tell you know that drought is a miserable thing. Living in a parched place, dry and devoid of life, is not the way that God desires us to live. Yet that is exactly what so many face everyday.
A life deprived of God’s Word is a life suffocated by drought. Psalm 19:7 says that “the law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.” You see, a life filled with God’s law is restored… so a life empty is what? Depressed? Dejected? As a Christian why would anyone ever divest themselves of God’s Word? Simply put, because it is not valued. Because we do not naturally put value on God’s Word, as Believers we must learn how to value it. Let us look at some truths and hopefully walk away with better understanding of its true value…
1. God’s Word is enduring
“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” Psalm 119:89
Throughout scripture we see that the Word of God stands forever. It is not the book of the month, or the book of the year. It is the book of the Ages – from everlasting to everlasting. “And though the grass withers and the flowers fade, the Word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). How can we not value so rich a resource that brings such understanding?
2. God’s Word is reliable
“The sum of Your Word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” Psalm 119:160
Today people have so many explanations and substitutions for truth. For many, truth is relative – what is true for you may not be true for me. For others, there is no truth – only doubt. As Christians we MUST have an understanding that God’s Word is absolute truth, having no mark against it. It has withstood the crucible of time and come through triumphant. It is wholly and utterly trustworthy! How can we not value a work so dependable?
3. God’s Word is precious
“The Law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Psalm 119:72
I believe Adrian Rogers has said it so fluently, “Saints and heroes have pillowed their heads on the Word of God as they walked through the chilly waters of death. Martyrs have clutched the Bible as flames crept around their feet. The early churched loved the Word of God. They never questioned it, they preached it, they proclaimed it, they pronounced it, and they poured it forth like white-hot lava. We need devotion like that for the Word of God.” How can we not value so great a masterpiece?
Because the Bible is enduring, reliable, and precious it should be highly valued in every Christian’s life. Only when we learn to value God’s Word we will find true delight in its verses.
“I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands to Your commandments;
which I love; and I will meditate on Your statutes.”
Psalm 119:47-48
