What is your favorite story of all time? Is it one you first saw on the big screen? One that you first encounter on the printed page? Maybe a story you saw painted on the canvas of real life?
What is the best wisdom you know? It is something you heard from a relative? Is it something you heard a speaker say? It is something you saw on a blog?
What is it that leaves with a smile on your face every time? Time spent with your beloved? When your team wins the championship? When you arrive at the perfect vacation spot?
Last week, I was at a Pre-lent retreat where Dean Wenthe was the main speaker. As a graduate of the Seminary under the Arch, I had never heard him before this conference. On the last day, he said in his normal understated manner that when he was invited to speak these days at a church he often suggested the bible to the members. What did he mean?
He stated that due to many of the battles fought over the nature of the Bible in recent decades, he believed many of us have lost our simple love of the Scriptures. We have lost the ability to say with integrity with the Psalmist, “Your instruction (Torah) is my delight.†We no longer do we just enjoy time in the scriptures. I think he is right, especially among those who have fought and continue to fight the battles.
What if your favorite story was from the scriptures? What is the best wisdom you knew was straight out of the bible? What if the thought of time to read the Bible made you smile?Â
Early in my ministry, I came into a hospital bed of a dear man name Leroy who now rests with his Lord. The passage I wanted to share was a little longer that I would usually share in a hospital. I said, “If it is okay, I would like to read this passage, but it is a little long.â€Â The man said without missing a beat, “It is the Word of God and I love it all.â€Â These words flowed from his heart. He delighted in the Bible. May God grant through his Spirit that all his baptized people might have such affection for the Bible in their hearts as well.
