Scripture’s Value
In the days when the Catholic church was very anti-Bible - wanting their people to not read Scripture for themselves, a Catholic woman got her hands on a Bible. The priest came to see her, and tried very hard to persuade her to give him the Bible. But she was having none of it, and eventually he started to offer her money. $1! She shook her head. $2? $5? The lady was not interested.
But the priest kept persisting, and eventually offered her $25 dollars for the Bible. She thought about and she gave in! The priest gave her the $25, and off he went with her Bible.
That same afternoon, the woman took the $25 dollars and went into town and bought 25 new Bibles and began handing them out among her friends!!!
Scripture-Soaked Life
The Bible is a fascinating thing. It has captured the hearts and minds of so many people over the centuries. It is ever fresh. Ever new. Ever relevant.
I remember watching a famous comedian rant about the Bible, going on about how Christians rely on this dusty old book and they’re all so deluded and bla bla bla. And I thought this poor man. He’s waving around a treasure, and he doesn’t know it’s a treasure!
Throughout the year we have spent a lot of time in 2 Timothy, here on my daily devos. As we get to the bottom of chapter 3 today, we read Paul’s view of Scripture – how he calls Timothy (and indeed all of us who are called by the name of Christ) to a Scripture-soaked life. Let’s read what Paul said to Timothy, and look for his high view of Scripture in these words: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14–17 NIV11)
Cherish God's Word
What a powerful reminder today that we are called to be Bible-people. John Wesley’s quote comes back to me – how he called himself “a man of one Book”. Paul and Timothy both knew the Scriptures and cherished them as God-breathed and incredibly useful for their Christian lives. Do we have the same high view of Scripture?
Or to go back to the story – are we the type of people who would sell one Bible in order to buy 25 more for those who need them – because we so believe in the power and the authority and the inspiration and the usefulness and the wonder of the words in the Bible?
Today, spend time in God’s Word. And approach your time of reading with a sense of awe – thinking “these words are God-breathed!” Then take them in and go into the day equipped because God spoke to you through His wonderful Word.
