7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua had God's words, God's Law, reflecting God's heart. And, throughout the ages, the Bible has been inspired and crafted, giving us direction for our own lives. It has stood the test of time - the Word of God is absolutely reliable, it is living and active, and it is highly instructive for our daily lives. God's Word in the heart of a believer in Christ makes for a powerful combination. If the Word is written on our hearts, we grow in our relationship with God, we have a greater degree of faith in the truth of God, and demonstrate to the world around us the character of Christ.
Psalm 119 can help us reflect on the power and reliability of God's Word:
10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! 12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes!
This past Wednesday was Religious Freedom Day, and a Christian organization called World Changers Florida celebrated the occasion by distributing Bibles in public schools. They had been stopped in Collier County in Southwest Florida a couple of years ago, but the school district said, "no" - World Changers went to court and they received a favorable ruling, so they were in that county distributing Bibles yesterday and the day before in Orange County, which is the Orlando area, which also allowed it last year.
Diego Rodriguez, attorney for the Orange County school district is quoted by MyFoxOrlando.com: "We'll have the passive distribution of bibles which essentially provides for a place for individuals that have petitioned the district, to place bibles on a table or stand."
In a blog post, Greg Harper of the World Changers organization makes some excellent points:
Could a young man or woman’s education be complete without exposure to this most important of books? In a survey conducted by The Gallup Organization for The Bible Literacy Report 2005, forty of forty-one high school English teachers said, “Bible knowledge confers a distinct educational advantage on students”.He also quotes some of our Founding Fathers about the importance of the Bible:
Yet, in a parallel survey of 1,002 teenagers only 8% of teens reported that their school offered an elective course on the Bible. So what happened? Under relentless legal pressure our public schools have removed any reference to the Bible from the classroom. In effect school officials have compromised student education in the mistaken belief that they were reducing exposure to legal action. Actually the Supreme Court has held that public schools may teach students about the Bible as long as such teaching is “presented objectively as part of a secular program of education.”
President Thomas Jefferson, “I have always said and will always say, studious perusal of the Sacred Volume will make us better citizens”.
President George Washington, “It is impossible to rightly govern without God and Bible”.
President Andrew Jackson, “The Bible is the rock on which this Republic rests.”
And, oh boy, the secularist/atheist axis was rather vocal toward this. Let's see, you have the American Atheists, Freedom from Religion Foundation, ACLU, and Central Florida Freethought weighing in about the action, some of them asking for permission to distribute their own materials. Now, here's what's important to note - World Changers' reaction:
When it was pointed out on the blog that David Silverman, President of American Atheists, had charged Orange County with showing favoritism by allowing the distribution of Bibles in the county high schools and saying that their organization would proceed to try to distribute books by Madalyn Murray O'Hair on atheism, Greg Harper responded:
Hey, face it - we are living in a society where there is a significant number of people that either do not acknowledge God or outright reject Him. There is a marketplace of ideas and even spirituality out there. Should we be alarmed? Yes, but not in an intimidated or confrontational manner. We can be confident of the truth of the Word of God - it is totally reliable and we serve a God who is totally faithful - there is more than ample evidence to support the truths of the Scripture. We can assertively move forward with sharing the Word of God, and seek to be more equipped to defend its content. That's why the SALT conference this weekend is so important, and that is a critical role of the ministry of Faith Radio - to help you grow in the knowledge of God, so that you can live it and share it in a manner that glorifies God.