The Bible – An Admonition and A Poem

 

What Do You See?

Guest post by my brother-in-law, MPW over at DailyBytesBlog.

Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

I recently watched a dramatized documentary on the training for the Astronauts that walked on the Moon. NASA wanted more geological information from these guys so they put them in geology classes which happened to be a challenge for a guy that gets a thrill from strapping himself to a rocket and floating into space. They finally were able to bring in a geologist that took them into the field and showed them the importance of what they were looking at, what to look for, how what they were looking at could tell them the story of what had happened in times past etc. Although I didn't agree with most of the ideology that they spoke of it got me to thinking about how I read my bible. Do I just read it to fulfill my duty before God or am I digging into the scripture for the truth placed there for my edification? Do I take the scripture and look at it from various angles as I would if I were inspecting an important item before a purchase? The more you enjoy something the closer you look at it and the more time you are willing to devote to it. Don't let your love for the word of God grow cold. It is your spiritual nourishment. Cultivate it. Check out Psalm 119 this week. It will bless your soul. Here are a couple verses to get you started.

Ps.119:140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.
Ps. 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

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The Anvil – God's Word

Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then, with a twinkling eye,
"The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - the hammers gone.

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Psalms 105:8  He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Afterthought:

I couldn’t help thinking how this poem is true of the Authorized King James Version of the scriptures in particular.  For hundreds of years now there have been various men attacking the Authorized Version trying to destroy it, convince us we need a “better translation”, and plant doubt as to its reliability.  The most famous and active were probably Westcott and Hort who were responsible for much doubt and an “alternate” Greek text upon which the Revised Version and many, many subsequent version are based.  BUT, by God’s grace and power His preserved word in the King James Version still stands.  It is still sold by the millions and according to one research, it is the most favored translation among those who own and read the Bible!  That really blesses my soul when considering how many hammers have worn themselves out trying to tear it down and destroy it!  Praise God. :-)