Manna in the Morning

It is reported that Gertrude Stein asked on her deathbed, “What is the answer?” Then, after a long silence asked, “What is the question?” When one reads the Bible a number of very important questions become known. Such as, “What is man profited if he gain the whole world but loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26) “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “What is truth?” (John 18:38) “What does a man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:3)“Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29) “What shall I do with him you call the King of the Jews?” (Mark 15:12) “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25) We would do well to ponder and respond to the questions that the Bible raises. There is coming a day when all questions will have been asked and all the answers will have been given. Don’t be caught with unanswered questions. Jesus is the final answer!

Hebrews 4:12 says, "...the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." What an amazing Book we are privileged to study and to share! Yet, all too often we let days go by without opening the Bible. On Sundays we are negligent in taking our personal Bible with us to Bible School and Worship. Some never study the Bible except to find ammunition to prove a point or win an argument. What would happen if we really and truly took the Bible seriously...for what it is...God’s Word to us? I read recently a very disturbing comment made by Mahatma Ghandi, "You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of good literature." Why not begin your day to day with a renewed commitment to spend time with the best book in the world—God’s Holy Word?

The nineteenth Psalm describes how David loved God’s Word. Do you love God’s Word like this? “The law of the LORD is perfect reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear giving insight to life. Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to those who hear them; there is great reward for those who obey them.” (Psalm 19:7-11)

S.J. Hill asks a penetrating question: “Why do you read the Bible? Is it something you feel you’re obligated to do before you can begin your day or turn off the lights at night? Meditating on the Word isn’t about reading a certain number of verses or chapters in the Bible every day. Neither is it merely educational.” There must be more than just gaining information in our Bible reading. If we want our time spent reading God’s Word to really mean something then we must approach that time differently than the way we read a textbook or the latest novel. We can’t race through the Bible and expect nuggets of truth to jump out at us. Meditating of God’s Word is not to be perceived as an achievement but rather as an experience...as an encounter. David expressed this desire in Psalm 119:18 when he wrote, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” There are times when we just need to “be still and know” that He is God. It is God’s Word that we read. It is a personal Word from our Creator. So, I urge you today to carve out some time and space to just read and meditate on His Word...it can transform your day from a mundane, regimen to an exciting adventure with God our Father leading the way.