Honoring the Word

In Psalm 1, the writer creates a powerful picture that indicates what a life surrendered to the authority of the Word of God looks like:
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

This is a picture of someone who has decided to allow the Word of God to govern his life.  We are called to come away from the things of this world and its ways and to devote ourselves to the reading of and meditation in Scripture, so that we can truly have a delight in the ways of God.  This comes as we develop a regular pattern of Scripture meditation, so that our lives will be grounded in truth and built on a firm foundation.  God's Word can show us powerfully the will of God and we can remain in the center of it as we absorb His Word into our hearts and allow the Spirit to direct our paths based on God's truth.

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In 2nd Timothy 3, we read about the incredible resource that we have in God's Word. It says:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Today has been set aside as the International Day of the Bible.  It's a designated day that represents a collaborative effort between a number of Bible-centric ministries -  it's sponsored by the National Bible Association, and organizations like The American Bible Society, YouVersion, Bible Gateway, Scripture Union, and Bibles for the World are encouraging participation within their own communities, according to the International Day's website.

At noon local time today, in public or online, people were invited to take part by pausing for a few minutes to read or even sing Scripture or otherwise creatively express their love of the Bible.

Richard Glickstein, President of the National Bible Association, is quoted on the website: “We’re thrilled with the reception to the launch of International Day of the Bible so far and are encouraging everyone from faith groups to performing artists as well as business, sports, community and religious leaders to participate and share their appreciation via social media or in public at noon in their local time zones." He added, “Honoring God’s Word and asking Him to bless our nations and bring peace to the world is particularly apt in this period of great turmoil."

According to the National Bible Association's website, since 1941, starting with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, every US president has declared the week of Thanksgiving, National Bible Week. This has now expanded to an international effort.

A little history from the Association's website - in 1941, NBC, a leading radio broadcaster at the time, invited the founders of the National Bible Association to read the Bible on air all day on a particular day.  The leaders were also invited by the President to come to the White House and present him with a Bible. The day? December 7, the day of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. 

The Association founders sent the President a telegram and told him that they and the nation would be praying for him and that of course they would not attempt to come to the White House. NBC called and told them that though they could not read the Bible all day on the air, would they come to the studio and read the Bible on air between the news reports about the disaster. That day, Americans heard the comforting words of the Bible as they contemplated the worst single day foreign attack on US soil in history.

Now, I'm not too thrilled with what appears to be an ecumenical slant on the National Bible Association - for instance, 2 of its trustees are listed as Mormons, and the designated National Bible City in 2013 was Salt Lake City, where a celebration was hosted at a local Tabernacle.  But, there are a number of Bible-focused, I would dare say, evangelical, ministries that are seizing this opportunity. And, I will admit that it's always great to be able to refresh and refocus regarding our commitment to God's Word.   So, today, let's be encouraged to renew our commitment to God's Word.

Four words for you on this International Day of the Bible:

Authority - as believers in Christ, I believe we have to be convinced of the preeminence of Christ and submit ourselves to the authority of His Word.  I believe that the Bible is inspired, infallible, and is the authoritative Word that should govern our lives.

Alive - the Bible tells us that the Scripture is living and active.  His Words bring us life.  The Spirit energizes the Word and makes it come alive in our hearts.  The Scriptures are more than just words on pages - properly applied, they can bring transformation to us.

Aware - but if we do not regard the Scriptures as alive and operate with an awareness of God's presence that activates that Word, then we cannot see it work effectively in our lives.  We have to increase our awareness of the verses of Scripture, the principles it teaches, and the power that we can derive.

Absorb - finally, the Word has to become part of us.  This comes through not only study of the Word and memorization of Scripture, but the careful meditation on it.  As God taught Joshua in chapter 1 of that book, we are called to meditate, to consider the words and principles and think about its reality in our lives.  How does Scripture address your actions, your decisions, today?  How can the Word work to reform your thinking?  God's Word can truly become part of us.