by John Grant
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. Hebrews 4:12
Recently I switched from a conventional Bible to an electronic one. It allows be to have my Bible wherever I take my phone, tablet or computer. I can easily switch from one translation to another and I can highlight passages in different colors and insert my personal notes. Ah… the wonders of the cyber world!
This week I got an email saying that I had highlighted more than five hundred verses of scripture. I was surprised, not realizing how much the Bible had spoken to me in such a short period of time.
Indeed, the Bible is a wellspring of knowledge and the greatest words of hope and assurance. It is the most well read book of all time, containing sixty-six books containing 1188 chapters and 31,103 verses, highlighting a mere five hundred verses doesn’t even scratch the surface. Indeed, it has been the cornerstone of western civilization and no one can be well educated without understanding this incredible book.
The Bible was written as divinely inspired by God himself and each and every verse has a purpose. The Bible gives us great illustrations of the power of God, as He speaks to us through His Word.
Look what the Bible itself says about the power of the Word:
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Matthew 4:4: “But he answered, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Joshua 1:8: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful 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.”
Romans 15:4: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Perhaps the importance of the Bible is best summed up in John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” It doesn’t get any better than that.
May we all be encouraged to spend more time in God’s Word and meditating on His message to us, as He speaks to us through His Word.
You can comment on this devotional online at:
http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/blog/2013/10/21/jg_the-wellspring-of-knowledge-and-hope/
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney