“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Most Christians believe, as I do, that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. It is a well preserved record of God speaking to men through the ages to reveal Himself and His will to us. We call the Bible the Word of God because that’s what God calls it. We also call it “the Scriptures,” a word which occurs over 50 times in the Bible itself. In John 17:17, Jesus, as He was praying to God for His disciples and us, called God’s word, “the truth.” He prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” The word for truth there means “divine truth” as opposed to any other truth. Most would call that kind of truth, absolute.
Of course, the Bible doesn’t mean much unless we read it and apply what it says to our lives. Men have died for that privilege to be able to read and to help others understand what is in the Word of God. Sometimes, especially in America, we take our Bibles for granted by letting them collect dust on a shelf or reading them “every once in a while.” Not so in other parts of the world, where to have a Bible to read, or even a part of the Bible to read is a privilege. Think about that for a minute. Most of us have one or more Bibles in our homes. We have the time, opportunity and ability to read. But most surveys tell us we don’t spend much time reading the Bible. Is it lack of motivation?
Well, motivation wasn’t a problem for a man named Atangana from Cameroon, an African nation bordering Nigeria. He just recently received his “First School Leaving Certification,” which is the award given in that country when students pass their primary school exam. What makes this award recipient stand out from his primary classmates is Atangana’s age. He is 75 years old. He dropped out of school in 1940 and returned to class, in part, so he could learn to read and write. And what reading material was so compelling to him that he was willing to sit in class with students the age of his friends’ grandkids? It was the Bible. After six decades, Atangana decided he wanted to better understand God’s Word—and that, he believed, could happen best if he was able to read it himself.
Do yourself a favor today. Before it’s over would you open up your Bible and read God’s Word. He will speak to you just as he does to Atangana from Cameroon—every day. Maranatha!
Pastor Don
