May 16, 2018

While reading Second Kings 22, I was fascinated by the story of a good king who realized he was doing life without the Book of God’s Law. King Josiah had given orders to have workers repair the temple. In the course of fulfilling the directive, someone found the Book of the Law. The king showed humility and mournfulness when he realized they had been doing their work without God’s instructions on how to live.

Josiah’s response was pleasing to God, so he was spared the judgment that would eventually come to Judah. The story reminded me that God always honors His Word, and when we submit to what He says, we experience amazing benefits.

I fear that we are living in a day when the Bible is being questioned as to its worthiness and is even considered to be of no value at all. I believe humans who take that approach are in danger of tremendous loss. It is one thing to lack understanding of Scripture – most of us struggle with this from time to time. But to deny its truthfulness or determine it to be worthless is a dangerous attitude.

I wonder what the Apostles and the early church fathers would think about the current casual outlook toward the Bible. These people were willing to die for what they believed to be God’s Truth. God used them to write and preserve what we enjoy today in our own language.

Recently, Carol and I visited the headquarters of the Bible Drive Ministry in Newberg, Oregon. These volunteers collect the Bibles that we no longer use and distribute them to people around the world. It is a huge effort that has been operating since the late 1980’s. I cannot imagine how many people in countries without handy access to a Bible are benefiting from this effort.

I commend these people for the priority they place on the Word of God. May their example motivate me and others who are busy maintaining the church as an organization to put the emphasis where it belongs – on the Word of God.

Pastor Bill Ehmann