Treasuring God's Word

In the Western world, access to a Bible is fairly easy. If you cannot afford to purchase one, paperback copies are given away. Many homes have several Bibles. In a worldly sense, its value is no different than any other book of mass distribution. Yet the Bible itself testifies that it is THE truth, the very Word of God. The Lord Jesus—in a rebuke of Satan in the desert—quoted . . . man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).

If you were starving for food, you would fight for the last morsel of bread to sustain you. How much more should we crave the Word of the living God? Yet just like taking food and water for granted while it is plentiful, so also do many take God's Word lightly until it is scarce. The God who created and sustains all that is and ever will be has spoken to us. The Word of God is a treasure to be guarded and infused into our hearts (1 Timothy 6:20). So let us not wait until Bibles are taken from our hands to write His Word on our hearts.

Pastor Dmitri, who is an SGA-supported missionary pastor in Belarus, often visits the elderly and notes that “each new visit to our dear elderly and lonely widows, brothers and sisters not only encourages them but also gives us much inspiration." He was blessed to sit with a sister who, in her younger days, had experienced the struggle of fighting for just one copy of the Bible. Speaking of a different time, Dmitri shared Lily’s story of the struggle her family faced as believers during the days of the Soviet Union.

"Sister Lily, daughter of a well-known minister, recalls her younger years, the persecution of Christians, confiscation of the spiritual literature, and other hardships and privations. The most precious thing in the house was the desk Bible, a family and an heirloom Bible. How many times they tried to take away this book, but my parents were ready to give everything in their house, even a cow from the stable, only if the Word of God remained, because this book opens the spiritual world. It tells about the most important thing, about salvation and the forgiveness of sins. The Lord miraculously helped to keep this wonderful gift and illuminated Lily's heart with repentance and fervent, heartfelt faith. This book became the most precious and read book in her life."

Lily's family was ready to even give away their sources of food, even the cow in the stable, but never the Word of God. For them, the Word of God was priceless, for it opened the door to knowing God more, to salvation, and the forgiveness of sins. By God's grace, Lily remained fervent for Christ and His Word through the years, never forgetting her parent's zeal for Scripture. May we also not wait until the Word is torn from our hands to know God more and more through His Word and to make Him known to others.

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