I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. … I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. [Psalm 119:11,15-16 (NLT)]
“Biology!? Math!? English! AAHH!” groans Nancy in a recent one of Guy Gilchrist’s comics. “I shouldn’t have to memorize anything I can Google!!” she protests with a frown. Oh, I feel your pain, Nancy; indeed, I do! Were it not for my Bible’s concordance and Google, I’d be hard put to include Bible verses in my devotions. I can manage to remember the gist of many verses but don’t ask me for chapter or verse and you’d better not quote me because my words won’t be exact. If quizzed on Scripture, I definitely would need an open book test and, like Nancy, would much prefer having access to Google.
We are called to witness for Christ and yet, without a Bible (or a computer) in hand, I make a pretty poor witness. The Bible, however, is pretty clear about knowing God’s word—not just reading it—but actually knowing it. I may read it, I may study and write about it but, when it comes to actually knowing Scripture and being able to recite it, I’m at the bottom of the class.
Granted, being able to talk the talk and recite Scripture certainly doesn’t make someone a follower of Christ or a good witness for His kingdom. Having faith and walking the walk is more important that being able to rattle off Bible verses. Nevertheless, at some point, we’ll be asked why we walk with Christ and what makes us so sure ours is the path to take. It’s then that we need to be able to do some talking—to share what we believe and why we believe it.
At Bible study recently, someone asked our pastor how to defend his belief that Christ is the only way to salvation. The answer, of course, is found in Scripture—John 14:6 which says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Our pastor reminded us that the Holy Spirit will provide us with the words we need when witnessing and, indeed, He will. Yet, we need to remember that God already has provided us with most of those words in the Bible. Let us never forget that God’s armor has only one weapon—the Sword of the Spirit—which is God’s word. Even without our Bibles, iPads or a wireless connection, we’ll have all the weaponry we need if we have God’s word in our hearts and minds.
I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified. [Chuck Swindoll]
I was right. In fact, I was so right I deserved a gold star and he was so wrong that he should have gotten a big red “F” but he never admitted it. Although I congratulated myself for not saying, “I told you so!” I still wanted him to eat a little humble pie. Then the Holy Spirit did His job and rightly convicted me of being a bit self-righteous and a whole lot mean-spirited. I was reminded of Luther, a man from our church who I called “a disciple of Christ” in a previous devotion. He always greeted people with a smile and the phrase, “Jesus loves you and I do, too.” As I heard Luther’s words in my mind, I stopped in mid-gripe and remembered that Jesus loves my man and I do, too.
I often find myself lost in the Bible, fascinated by this amazing book of history, poetry, passion, and wisdom. Comparing translations and reading commentaries helps me understand the context and meaning of verses. Knowing something about the specific church to whom Paul was writing, for example, allows me to better understand his directions, many of which seem peculiar in today’s world where churches don’t argue about circumcision and food isn’t offered to idols. For example, Paul wasn’t playing fashion police when giving instructions about hair length and head coverings to the church in Corinth. Although Greek women worshipped without head coverings, Jewish women had always covered their heads in worship—an uncovered head for them was a sign of loose morals. Moreover, in Corinth (the city with Aphrodite’s temple and its 1000 prostitutes) both long hair on men and short hair on women were signs of prostitution. Paul was trying to unify both Jewish and Gentile believers and prevent anyone’s appearance from interfering with their ability to be a witness for Christ. Bible study also makes old familiar verses take on deeper meaning. David’s sorrowful words of repentance in Psalm 51 are even more poignant when we know they refer to his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Bible study, however, is far more than an intellectual exercise; it enables us to know God as He revealed himself in Scripture and then to weave His word into our daily lives.
How would we prove we are Christians? If we were Islamic converts to Christianity, seeking asylum in the United Kingdom or several other nations, an assessor would interview us to determine whether or not we actually are believers. Unfortunately, many of those doing the interviewing have no real understanding of Christianity themselves. Worse, as new Christians, we probably won’t know the answers to the sort of questions that are asked while those who are pretending to be Christian might have all the answers memorized. After all, back in Jesus’ time, the Pharisees had all the answers but were sorely lacking in faith. If we failed our interviews, we’d be subject to deportation. For a Christian, especially a Christian convert (an apostate), returning to one’s Islamic homeland could have dire (even fatal) consequences.
The Philistine army, hoping to capture King David, raided the valley of Rephaim. Before responding to the attack, David stopped and asked God what action he should take. He didn’t present his battle plan for God’s consideration nor did he take action before receiving God’s instruction. God told David to go to battle, assuring him of victory over the Philistines. When the battle went as God had promised, David wisely did not take credit for the victory. “God did it!” he exclaimed, giving credit where credit was due. The Philistines, however, returned and raided the valley again. Although David had previously defeated them, he didn’t assume a similar victory the second time. Again, the shepherd king paused, looked to God for his battle plan and listened to His advice. This time, God gave him a new strategy, telling David to circle his army around behind the Philistines and wait for a sound like marching feet in the trees before attacking. David followed God’s advice and was victorious once again.
I recently received an email from a Christian bookstore apologizing for one of their advertisements. Apparently, there had been objections to their “journaling” Bible ad, not because of the possible defacing of a Bible with doodles but because of the ad’s subject line: “Channel Your Inner Creative.” Customers protested their use of “inappropriate” New Age language. While the store’s goal had been to “embrace and celebrate the gift of creativity,” some people thought they were touting “channeling,” a New Age form of spiritualism. When channeling, people yield control of their discerning and reasoning faculties and enter a meditative or trancelike state in order to receive messages from a spiritual guide. When I first saw the ad, I gave no thought to its wording; I simply thought they were offering Bibles with extra wide margins so the reader could write notes or prayers on the pages. In their apology, the store promised to be “more vigilant and discerning” about their messaging. My first reaction upon receiving the apology was, ”Come on people—get a life!” I considered the complainers to be the kind of prissy judgmental people who give Christians a bad name.
Devotions of the Heart 