The Bible contains the mind of God,
the state of man,
the way of salvation,
the doom of sinners,
and the happiness of believers.
Its doctrines are holy,
Its precepts are binding,
Its histories are true,
and its decisions are immutable.
Read it to be wise,
Believe it to be safe,
And practice it to be holy.
It contains light to direct you,
Food to support you,
And comfort to cheer you.
It’s the traveler’s map,
the pilgrim’s staff,
the pilot’s compass,
the soldier’s sword,
and the Christian’s charter.
Here Paradise is restored,
Heaven opened,
And the gates of hell disclosed.
Christ is its grand subject,
Our good the design,
And the glory of God its end.
It should fill the memory,
rule the heart,
and guide the feet.
Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully.
It is a mine of wealth,
A paradise of glory,
And a river of pleasure.
It is given you in life,
Will be opened at judgement,
and be remembered forever.
It involves the highest responsibility,
Will reward the greatest labor,
And will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.
Merely 184 words but worthy of being memorized or read frequently! Consider the perspective of your life at this moment. Is dispensing love to all you meet your dominant theme? Unsure? Perhaps you need to read the above document again. Perhaps you could gain key insights were you to decide to to read scripture daily. Perhaps you are being prompted to join the 2022 FOR LIFE (Living In Faithful Evangelism) movement to read your One Year Bible daily for the rest of your life. Relax! It’s actually not that radical! According to God’s clock, none of us have that much more time left on this planet anyway. Ever figure out how many more Sundays you may have left?
Ken Hawkins of Really Recovered spoke this morning at KMC of his extreme hunger for scripture when he first met Jesus. Even if you were there, I suggest you go to the Kidron Mennonite Church website and listen to his words of encouragement again regardless if you have known Jesus for 7 years as Ken, or as some, for 65 years. A few of his quips: I Cor. 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in WORD, but in POWER.” When we experience God’s healing presence, the “before” picture brings value and credibility to whatever the “restoration.” “Do you think God saved (restored) you for you? This is FOR you but not ABOUT you!!”Daily prayer and Bible reading is not an option for the perilous times ahead.