And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV
Our title for today is words I have come to love to hear. Our pastor always says, “Get your Bible out” he follows this by telling us what Scripture passage to turn to. I love to hear these words because I have become fascinated by the vast amount of knowledge found in this book.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Bible is the bestselling book of all time. It is believed that by the year 2021 somewhere between 5 and 7 billion copies had been sold. Of course, this does not count those sold before the printing press was invented.
It makes you wonder what everyone is doing with their Bibles. If everyone were studying them, I believe the world would be much different. Today with the internet and cell phones we can easily access Scripture passages or even the entire Bible through an app.
But nothing replaces a good old-fashioned Bible that you can hold in your hand, underline passages, and make notes in the margins. Yes, it’s okay to underline and write in your Bible. It’s okay to highlight Scripture passages.
What would that entail if someone told you to get your Bible out? Would it be simply picking it up off the pew beside you or would it be digging to the back of your closet to see if it is still there? Would it be getting it from a shelf filled with many other things you haven’t picked up in a while?
If you pray to God but fail to study your Bible, please understand that your conversations are one-sided. You are doing all the talking and none of the listening. Ever had one of those conversations with someone? When the other person does all the talking but refuses to listen to what you have to say, how long are you going to continue in conversation with that person?
The Bible tells us God’s ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). This makes it more important for us to listen to what He has to say through His holy word.
If someone tells you to get your Bible out, this is a good indication that they are not only going to preach God’s word, but they encourage you to fact-check them as they do it. In most cases, they will use Scripture to support Scripture.
I encourage you to carry a good old-fashioned hard copy of your Bible. I encourage you to make notes in it and highlight them. I encourage you to mark certain passages. Your Bible is meant to be used daily. It keeps an open line of communication with our Lord and Savior.
So, get your Bible out. Don’t just read it, but study it daily.
No matter how many times you read it through, you’ll be amazed at how much more there is to learn. It’s never boring. I can see why it’s the bestselling book of all time.
Have a great day!