THE BIBLE IS NOT JUST A BOOK!

What kind of reverence should we have as we read the Bible? 

What kind of submission should it require? 

What kind of attention should it promote? 

What kind of love should it produce?

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

As we looked at the first six verses of this amazing psalm about God’s revelation, we reflected on the clarity and beauty of God’s revelation in creation. This revelation provides enough information to expose the rebelliousness of man and for God to righteously condemn him.

In today’s verses, David provides a succinct presentation of the amazing qualities of the Word of God and the benefits to man, when he approaches it in humble submission.

The Word of God is perfect, is sure, is right, is pure, is clean, is true, is righteous, and is eternal.

Before looking at these qualities, we should just stop and praise God for His loving care in giving us the law, the testimony, the precepts, the commandment, the fear, and the rules.

Just looking at this list should cause us to be filled with gratitude, as we acknowledge that man would have never been able to imagine or invent the Word of God. Without the Sacred writings we would not know who God is, what He thinks, who we are, or what our destiny is.

We would not be able to evaluate ourselves, circumstances, or people. We would not know our boundaries; we would not know how to make moral evaluations of decisions.

We would only know how to promote ourselves, with our lusts and desires. God has been so gracious to provide us with rules, principles, and godly standards.

As we look at the qualities of the Word of God, it becomes clear that they are so different from our nature and that they promote godliness. Having the Word of God in our possession has become so “normal” for us that we lose sight of its value.

We will never hold anything more perfect in our hands; we will never place our trust in anything that is more sure. We will never have to evaluate God’s words to know if they are right, for we could never embrace something more pure, and we will never have access to anything that is more true. We will never read anything more righteous, and it will never become obsolete.

What kind of reverence should we have as we read the Bible? What kind of submission should it require? What kind of attention should it promote? What kind of love should it cause?

The Word’s characteristics and qualities should be sufficient to produce in us a careful evaluation of the way we approach it.

As we read its benefits, we should ask ourselves why we disregard it so often and why it doesn’t have a place of priority in our daily lives.

The Word of God revives the soul, makes wise the simple; it causes the heart to rejoice, and produces clarity.

Without the Word we would still be dead in our sin, for we could have never known how to be right with God. It is the Word of God that produces faith in God; apart from it we do not even know Him. There is no true wisdom to be learned apart from the truth of the Scriptures. There is no other information or pursuit that can produce lasting joy. There is nothing else by which we can evaluate life and its problems.

This is what the Word of God is, its qualities and its benefits! Are you wondering now why you do not give more time to its study? Are you asking yourself why it’s not your first source of reference and information? Are you disappointed that it’s not guiding your evaluations and reactions to circumstances and people? Are you ashamed that you are not submitted to it? Are you rebuked that it’s not what you spend the most time talking about to your family and friends? Have you allowed the cares of the world to turn the values of your life upside down?

I realize, as I meditate on these truths, that there needs to be a different kind of response in my life. When we look at the ending verses of Psalm 19, we will each need to ask ourselves what kind of reactions we should have to them.

For today, it may be a good idea to spend time in grateful prayer for the precious gift you have in your home.