The precious Word of God.
I was talking to God this past week about what I would teach for the first 3 weeks of August. What my heart heard was, "the precious Word of God". The precious Word of God. I was wondering if someone had written something under the theme of the precious Word of God, so I searched for it on my computer. What I found has really affected my heart this past week. I was led to a link that said, "the precious Word of God" and it showed me video footage of a story entitled, "Celebrating and Treasuring the Word of God". I was curious. I watched a ten minute story about the Kimyal tribe in West Papua, Indonesia when they received the New Testament of the precious Word of God in their own language for the very first time. The story I watch ripped my heart up and open. I urge you to find ten minutes sometime in the next few days to take this story in. You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9dpmp_-TY0
I've watched this story 4 times this week.
This entire village watches as a small plane circles into their valley. Inside the plane are packaged copies of the precious Word of God, New Testament. They received it in 2010. A pilot hands a group of men and women who processed quietly, deliberately toward the landed plane, a white pack of the Words of God. They pray and they weep. Many weep as they receive this precious gift. You have the definite sense that it is precious to them. It's not casual. They are stricken with gratitude and desire for the Word of God. Watching them receive the precious Word of God affects me.
How am I treasuring the precious Word of God today? Am I treasuring the precious Word of God today? These are not guilt and shame questions. These are invitation questions. These are precious questions. These are burning questions for today. I have just glanced to my left in the Translation Room at the Korean Church of Knoxville and looked at my bookshelves. I just quickly counted 19 bibles in various forms. Am I tremblingly grateful or casual? Am I amazed or numb? I am not receiving a scold, I am receiving an intersection to take stock of how I am or am not treasuring the precious Word of God. You're invited too.
I am moved by what the precious Word of God declares about itself....
The precious Word of God is like...
a mirror- it helps us see what we look like. (James 1:22-25)
seed- when planted in us is capable of bringing forth fruit that pleases God. (Matthew 13:18-23)
water- it cleans us. (Ephesians 5:25-27)
gold and silver- precious gift of great value. (Psalm 19:10a)
a lamp- light to live our life by. (Psalm 119:105)
milk- real truth to help our young hearts to grow. (1 Peter 2:2)
meat- hearty truth for our hearts to grow ongoing. (Hebrews 5:12-14)
bread- the staple of our nourishment. (John 6:51)
a hammer- shatters hard hearts and breaks through closed minds. (Jeremiah 23:29)
a sword- opens our hearts and fights our battles. (Hebrews 4:12)
fire- it burns, consumes and cannot be stopped from spreading. (Jeremiah 20:9)
honey- the sweetest gift. (Psalm 19:10b)
And so take it into your hands today. Touch it. Taste it. "....eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it. So I ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth." (Ezekiel 3:3)
My writing today is not rah rah pump you up about how you and I should be thankful for the Word of God. My writing today is quiet, in awe that we could take it, touch it and taste it.....today. Today. The gift of the precious Word of God today.
Quiet.
There's more.