CRAVE…OR WAVE

I’m sitting at my desk, cleaning out old files and emails, organizing and trying to be productive on a very slow day, and what is surrounding my soul is the wonder and awesomeness of God’s Word. There’s trouble afoot in the Heldman camp and that always brings out the deep appreciation for what God so wisely and lovingly put down on paper. I can hold it in my hands and I can hold it in my heart. I can think about it as I’m typing a letter about scheduling an interview. It is “between my eyes” as I look at my computer screen. Verses fly around in my head when the phone rings and I’m not sure who it will be on the other end.

A photo of my children causes my brain to go into a Search Mode, looking for a verse for today to claim for them. Then there are individual photos which have a verse written on them…in invisible yet indelible ink. Right above my computer I can see Lucas and Autumn and Ethan and Jesse and Seth. There are Bible stories that I can almost quote word for word that give me hope for my grandkids.

I love my copy God’s Word because it is written in English and at a level I can understand and is not barricaded behind the pulpit. I have a King James Bible from which I am memorizing Revelation (since I already know verses in that version). I have a Through the Bible in a Year in NIV. Right next to that one on my bed is the new English Standard Version. Sometimes I read it instead and all three of them are at my fingertips for the sake of clearing “stuff” up.

When I read how God acted in a certain situation back in those incredible Bible days, it shoots an arrow deep into my heart that never goes away or fades. “God does not change,” is the message it brings. The Bible tells me over and over and over again that He is merciful and gracious and compassionate and forgiving and abounding in love… along with His justice and judgment. This one Book is the source of life and hope and answers and guidance and instruction.

How blessed I was to have a mother whose Bible was marked up with references written in the margins and lines going from one word to another across the page, and who memorized hundreds of verses, including the whole book of Hebrews! And what a rich woman I am to have had pastors and a youth pastor who taught us to delve deep into God’s Word. There was very little “how-to” preaching in our church. Our food was verse-by-verse study. We sang songs like The B-I-B-L-E and I learned to “stand alone on the Word of God!”

I told someone once to pursue God’s Word because of all these things. They said, “It’s not me to spend a lot of time in it. I feel it’s more important to do what I know it says and lead a good life.” This was a Christian talking. I was sad. Just think of the words that you use to describe God’s Word…precious, treasure, rich, awesome, powerful, gripping, blessed, and I like to add…user friendly. Perhaps it comes down to a choice you make…crave knowing all you can about the great God or wave to Him on the way to church.

For me, I think it’s amazing that He gave us this book so that little finite beings could be intimate with an infinite God!

His word is tried in a furnace.

August 2006