ODJ: What We Value

July 30, 2016 

READ: Psalm 119:97-112  

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey (v.103).

Abe lived in a country that was closed to the message of Jesus. We became friends in the first month I lived there, and he soon asked me to teach him the Bible. He gave his life to Christ during our second Bible study, and he eagerly devoured whatever I could teach him.

The next year I went home and then returned to Abe’s country with a new Study Bible. Abe’s face lit up when he unwrapped his present. He clutched his new Bible to his chest and promised that the precious book would “never touch the ground”.

I was overjoyed by his response, but also ashamed to think of how I had often treated my own Bible. I had tossed it on a table, piled other books on top of it and had even occasionally set it on the floor. While none of these things are technically sinful, Abe’s response reminded me that I needed to value Scripture even more.

Psalm 119 reveals the psalmist’s love for God’s instructions. He said that he rejoiced in them “as much as in riches” (v.14). God’s “instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver” (v.72). “Truly, I love your commands more than gold, even the finest gold” (v.127).

The author gushed over what God has revealed in Scripture because it’s his access to Him. He wrote, “I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord; therefore, I obey your instructions” (v.55). David clung to the Scriptures because they provided the path to life. “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope” (v.114).

God is bigger than any book. We don’t worship the Bible, so we shouldn’t feel guilty when we stuff it into our backpack. But the Bible does reveal God and His ways to us. How we handle—and more importantly, how much we read—the Scriptures speaks volumes about what we think about Him.

—Mike Wittmer

365-day plan: John 8:21-59