God’s voice isn’t all that difficult to hear. It’s right there, ink on paper. Count on it–that book will never lead you astray.
From Psalm 38:15: “But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.”
From 1 Peter 2:2-3: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Infancy of man’s faith
Absent righteous skills
Fed with Word’s nourishment
Holy Spirit fills
Grappling divine lessons
Bread of Life above
Christ breathes as Living Word
Grace imparts with love
Learning faith’s elements
Son of Man preaches
One parable each time
Our Lord’s Word teaches
Practicing what is learned
Holy design’s growth
Faith in Word progresses
Maturity’s oath
Accepting Word’s goodness
Darkness now ignored
Righteous living obeys
Mercy comes on board
From Hebrews 5:13-14: “For everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.”
From Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Forgettable years adding up
Spiritual health needs checkup
Winter’s never-ending season
Now asking, “What is life’s reason?”
Empty heart filling with sorrow
God not waiting for tomorrow
Lost on dusty shelf, answer speaks
Holy Bible verses now seek
God’s guiding hands open each page
Grace unlocking life’s gloomy cage
Gospels speak of Messiah’s love
Son journeys to earth from above
Jesus speaks truth with conviction
Mercy’s faith heals each affliction
Son of God tells of one to come
Spirit beating hope’s steady drum
Lord’s Advocate, incessant voice
Each day fills with His divine choice
Trust and obey our Triune God
Righteousness shatters sin’s facade
Unforgettable years beaming
Spiritual health now gleaming
From 2 Corinthians 13:13: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.”
Searching the local bookstore for one of the all-time classics to read, I find myself wandering the nearly infinite rows of bookcases, overflowing with books of every kind. I am not looking for just any book, mind you. My reading appetite hungers for something rich in prose, but the book needs to fit my personal definition of a classic.
As I walk around, my eyes notice many classics of American literature. I flip through pages of book after book. Hmm, “not this one” becomes my common response. Frustration is beginning to set in, and the time is growing late.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
While these books would fill many lists of some of the most treasured novels to read, my appetite is still looking for something with the “crowning glory” of literature. My vigilant book search continues.
Coming around a corner, the final section of the enormous store is laid out in front of me. This overly small section of is buzzing with activity. A large gathering of book lovers are digging all over its shelves. What stories are these readers of classic literature finding here?
“Jonah and the Whale”
“Moses Leads Israel Home”
“Daniel in the Lion’s Den”
“David vs. Goliath”
“Abraham and Isaac”
“Noah Builds an Ark”
Feeling the excitement now as well, my eyes capture a beautiful volume with the above stories, but I also discover “The Greatest Story of All-Time” about a Galilean named Jesus Christ.
My spiritual journey has finished at last. The Holy Bible will fill my spiritual hunger for an eternity. Amen!
One of the biggest dangers for believers is a failure to mature. To grow, we must have nourishment from God’s Word, and to become strong, we need the exercise of obedience.
From Hebrews 5:12-14: “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Reading the Bible
Discover truth and wisdom—
God’s shadow lengthens
Walking with the Lord
Spirit enters heart and soul—
Tasting Bread of Life
Sinful nature breathes
Separates us from our God—
Jesus builds a bridge
Darkness
Jesus beckons
Come, follow Me
His path leading to
Light
Selfish
Sinful heart
Trusting our Lord
Creating new, clean heart
Restoration
God’s
Divine passion
Caring and transforming
His Son’s atoning sacrifice
Salvation
Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.
From 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me. The Bible is not antique or modern. It is eternal.
From Matthew 4:4: “But He [Jesus] answered, ‘It is written, One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”
I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.
From Matthew 4:4: “But He answered, ‘It is written, One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Big Sky Buckeye 