What a Difference

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to rule a country? I wonder what choices kings and queens and other leaders have to make every day. Imagine being able to affect so many people with every decision you make! The kings of Israel and Judah didn’t have to wonder what it would be like - they lived it. How did they make their decisions?

Ahab, the seventh king of Israel, came from a long line of mostly wicked kings. As king of Israel, he possessed power greater than anyone else in the land. One time he even killed one of his subjects - only to steal his vineyard. Even with all that power, Ahab found himself powerless to aid his people in their time of need. You see, Ahab refused to honor God. Despite repeated warnings from prophets, Ahab chose to worship idols, and he encouraged his subjects to do the same. Even though he knew the commandments of God, he purposely rejected them. As a result, God sent a terrible famine to Ahab’s kingdom; for three long years there was no rain in Israel. Rain finally returned when God gave a majestic and miraculous display of his power, proving to all of Israel that God was bigger than the false gods they served. Years later, Ahab decided to go to war with a neighboring kingdom. A prophet of the Lord warned him not to go to battle. Yet again, Ahab refused to listen to the voice of God. Ahab was killed in that battle.

Centuries later, another king ruled, this time, over Judah, not Israel (Israel and Judah had been divided into two separate countries). This king also came from a long line of wicked kings. King Josiah, however, who came to the throne at only eight years of age, was always concerned about the things of God. When he was sixteen years old, some of his workers found the Book of the Law - the only Bible that existed at that time - in the ruins of the Temple. The Law was read to Josiah. Grieved at the disobedience his country had displayed toward the God of the universe, Josiah immediately instituted reforms throughout the country. The idols were destroyed and the altars of the false gods were demolished. Josiah encouraged his people to follow the one true God and he endeavored to keep the feasts and observances that were commanded in the Book of the Law. However, Judah’s sins were great before the eyes of God. Not only was Judah’s past full of wicked kings, but even the people of Josiah’s day were not wholeheartedly pursuing God. King Josiah was devout and sincere, but his people weren’t. Sadly, Josiah’s efforts and reforms did not turn away Judah’s punishment, but God did reward Josiah for his righteousness: Josiah did not see Judah’s fall. The destruction of Judah happened after Josiah’s death. Josiah renewed the covenant between God and the people of Judah - even though he didn’t have much working in his favor. The people liked their gods, Josiah had no example of godly leadership (since his ancestors had all been wicked), and Josiah himself was only sixteen years old when he began the reforms of Judah. However, Josiah paid attention to the word of the Lord and obeyed what he read in the Scriptures. And do you know what God thought of that? “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Chron. 34:2).

What a difference we see between Ahab and Josiah! Ahab ignored God, but Josiah listened to and sought God. Israel suffered famine because of their king’s wickedness, but Judah’s punishment was delayed because of their king’s righteousness. Ahab and Josiah did not have the Bible like we do today, but they had the Book of the Law (which was the beginning of the Bible) and they had the prophets who were sent by God. What mattered is what they did with what they had. Ahab refused to follow God. Josiah chose to listen. Look at the difference in their decisions and the outcomes! What difference could studying and obeying the Bible make in your life?

No Ordinary Book

The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to us. I don’t think we realize how incredible that is. Imagine! The God of the universe, who spoke everything into existence, who rules all of history and future, chose to give those He created a revelation of Himself. No wonder the Bible is the bestselling book of all time – it is the only book whose Author is God Himself. In the Bible, God, our Creator, tells us why He created us and how we should live. The Bible chronicles the history of God working in the lives of men and mankind in general; from creation to the fall to the cross to eternity – we know the whole story, because God wrote it down for us. No other book is written by God. No other book is so necessary for man to read and take to heart.

We’ve heard so often that God wrote the Bible for us and to us, that I think sometimes we don’t think twice about it. We speed right past thinking about the Bible to thinking about day to day things. What would you think if I told you that I had never spoken with my best friend? You probably wouldn’t believe me. How can you be friends with someone whom you’ve never communicated with? While we may never hear the audible voice of God, we will always find just what we need in the conversation He has already had with us, in the Bible. Only through reading what God has written to us will we know God. Knowing God is one of the greatest joys and purposes of life. Again, consider the greatness of what God has given us: we have the privilege of knowing the words of God! Knowing God changes us. Those who know God know the peace, joy, and love He provides. They know their purpose in life. Those who know God are the most blessed people on earth. Reading the Bible also changes your life. No one can come into contact with God through His Word and walk away the same. As Hebrews 4:12 says, “the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” If we truly take to heart what we read in the Bible, our lives will show it. By spending time in personal study of God’s Word, we will begin to reflect Christ in our lives – showing others the joy that we have through knowing God.

We aren’t the only ones who will benefit from our time reading the Bible. As we act, speak, and live like Christ, putting into practice what we have learned and discovered while studying the Bible, everyone around us will be affected. Those who don’t know Christ will begin to question why you seem so different (a good kind of different!). Those who do know Christ will be challenged to live like you do. Additionally, reading the Bible gives us wisdom in how to respond to those who are not Christians. When an unbeliever asks us a question about God or the Bible, we will either already know the answer or be able to confidently search for it. Think of how many people you come into contact with daily: your family, friends, neighbors, teachers… Think of how God could use you to make a difference in their lives! God can use anyone in His service, but He most often chooses those who have prepared themselves to serve Him. Reading the Word He has given us prepares us for affecting the culture around us. So many people could benefit from the time we give to God in reading His Word.

The Bible is a book that was written by God Himself. The only One who was there before the time began told us how the world came about, and how evil entered it. The only One who commands history wrote down the accounts of the Israelites, the Jews, and the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only One who gave His Son for us told us how to receive that gift. The only One who determines good and evil told us personally how to live a life that pleases Him. All of this is found in the Bible. The Bible is more than a book. It is even more than a bestseller. The Bible is God communicating with mankind – it is our way to know God and meet with Him. Think about it – God wrote down a whole book for us! It teaches us why we’re here and what to live for. The Bible tells us how to gain eternal life and how to live our earthly life so it will count. The Bible is no ordinary book. How can we put it down?

Standing His Ground

When we hear of famous Christians in history, we often imagine them to be near-perfect. It sometimes surprises us to learn of a spiritual “giant’s” weakness. God works in all of our lives, whether we’re famous or not. Everyone needs God’s saving hand. Despite everything his religious superiors told him, Martin Luther - the famous Reformation leader - could not convince himself that he had peace with God; he felt as though he had never been justified, or declared righteous before God. After becoming a monk to fulfill a vow he made, Luther performed every good work and good deed he could think of. He kept all the monastery rules perfectly (and there were a lot of rules!), trying to erase his feelings of condemnation. Yet somehow, no matter how many good works he did, he still felt terribly guilty, and no man’s reasoning could help him. One day as he was studying the Bible (a rare treat awarded only to priests and monks), Luther came to Romans 1:17: Luther realized something earth-shattering. Faith justifies, not works. This completely changed the way Luther looked at Christianity! One is saved by believing in God’s gift of His Son - when God counts His Son’s perfect righteousness toward the sinner. No amount of good works or obedience can save someone from the penalty of their sins. Only by faith in Jesus Christ can one escape hell. Luther finally felt free. He knew the answer! He was truly saved.

Not everyone, however, appreciated Luther’s “discovery.” In Luther’s day, there were many people who sought to gain money through the Church. One way they did so was to sell indulgences, pieces of paper that the church promised would save someone from their sins. Of course, the pieces of paper had no such power, but when only

the Church has access to the Bible, the common people knew no better. Many poor men and women were led astray by the Church’s teaching of indulgences, giving their hard-earned money to the Church for the selfish and rich priests and receiving useless paper in return. Martin Luther fought against this practice, and the Church responded by trying to darken Luther’s name. When told by the Church that his views were against the Bible, Luther asked his opponents to show him where the Bible supported indulgences. “A council may sometimes err,”

he said. “Neither the church nor the pope can establish articles of faith. These must come from Scripture.” Luther continued to publish his thoughts and beliefs, much to the chagrin of the Church. Soon he was asked to give an account for his beliefs. “My conscience is captive to the Word of God,” he unequivocally asserted. “I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither honest nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

With that, Luther had to run. Finding safety in the castle of a friendly duke, Luther waited out his pursuers by translating the New Testament into the common language of his country: German. Luther continued to challenge the beliefs and practices of the Church of his day.

There will always be authorities contradictory to the Bible. In Martin Luther’s day, it was the Church itself. Even though those who supposedly knew the most about Christianity were against him, Luther stood his ground. Well, it wasn’t his ground. It was the truth of the Bible: God’s Word to men.

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Written for Me

Olivia hurriedly read through her devotions for the morning: Psalm 121. ‘“The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore,’” she finished. She had read it before. In fact, Olivia had read the Bible a lot and heard much about it, but she didn’t see the point of reading it. It doesn’t have much to do with my life, she thought to herself. Sure, pastors and parents and teachers can get something from it, but it wasn’t written for me.

Later that day, as Olivia and her family were out shopping at the mall, Olivia thought about school and her friends. She had already forgotten about her morning Bible reading. “Cool!” Olivia’s younger brother Kyle exclaimed. “The video store!” Excited, Olivia and Kyle hurried ahead of their parents, who were entering a clothing store nearby. Olivia and Kyle enjoyed their time browsing different aisles, occasionally showing each other their favorite. “I know,” Olivia said to Kyle. “Let’s go ask Mom and Dad if we can each buy a movie!” Kyle quickly agreed, and the two of them hurried to their parents’ favorite section of the movie store. But their parents weren’t there. At first they were confused, but then Olivia remembered that their parents had been looking at the clothing store and she realized that they were probably in there. A little worried, Olivia and Kyle rushed to the clothing store nearby. “I don’t see Mom and Dad, Olivia,” Kyle told his sister with nervous fear in his voice. “Oh, they’re around here somewhere,” Olivia assured him, although she wasn’t quite persuaded about it herself. But as hard as they looked (and they looked as hard as they could), Olivia and Kyle couldn’t find their parents anywhere. “Where could they be, Olivia?!” Kyle was frantic now. Olivia was hardly any calmer herself. What if we never find them? she wondered. What if they forget about us and go home without us? She didn’t dare tell Kyle her thoughts. Just as Olivia was ready to break down into tears, she remembered something. “‘The LORD will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore’” (Ps. 121:7-8). “It’s okay, Kyle,” she told her scared little brother. “God will take care of us – He promised that He would.” “He did?” her brother didn’t sound so sure. “Sure He did,” Olivia assured him and repeated the verses that God had brought to her mind. “Why don’t we pray that God will help us find Mom and Dad?” she suggested to her brother. In the middle of the busy mall, Kyle and Olivia held hands while Olivia prayed. “Dear Jesus, please help us to find Mom and Dad. We’re worried right now because we’re lost, but we know that You always take care of us. Amen.” “Amen,” Kyle sniffled an echo. As they looked up, both were surprised to see their parents hurrying toward them. “Mom! Dad!” Kyle shouted as he ran in their direction. Olivia followed right behind him, relieved that everything was alright and convinced that God had helped them.

As the four of them rode home, Olivia thought about her day. She thought about how scared she was at the mall when her parents were nowhere in sight. She remembered how comforted she felt when God brought Psalm 121:7-8 to her mind. Maybe the Bible does speak to my life, she thought. She smiled as she realized that the Bible was written for her.

It’s easy for us to think that the Bible was written only for adults. After all, the Bible can be hard to understand sometimes. But we must not forget that Jesus, during His time on earth, was especially interested in children (Matt. 19:13-15). Amazingly, Jesus spoke of things that were hidden from ‘“the wise and learned’” being revealed to children (Matt. 11:25). The Bible is for kids just as much as it is for adults. God wrote the Bible to His children, including the youngest ones. May we always make reading His Word our highest priority, for His Words make us wise and give us joy (Ps. 19:7-11). We will never be too young (or old!) for that.