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There was a nurse in our family who was employed in the Lincoln family during the illness of the President's son. One morning, having left the sick room for a few moments, she was just returning, when to her surprise she heard a voice in the room. Looking in she beheld Mr. Lincoln kneeling by the bedside engaged in prayer.
"O God, thou knowest how the cares of state weigh and how because of it I have not been the father I should have been. O great Father, I should pray to you to spare the boy and forgive me for the sin."
Coming into the hall and seeing the nurse he said, "You heard?" "Yes, Mr. President, I heard," she replied. "It is all right," he said and passed on.
—M. P. Boynton
John Burton, Sr., 1773-1822
Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97)
Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years. —Charles H. Spurgeon
The Bible is truly an amazing book. It has rightfully been called "The Book of Books." The first book ever printed was the Bible—the German Gutenberg Bible between the years 1450-1455. Today, it is printed in more than 600 languages, and portions of it are printed in more than 1,000 tongues and dialects. It has long been the world's best seller.
In addition to being God's love letter and self-disclosure of Himself, the Bible clearly spells out His plan for our redemption and restored fellowship. It is also our final authority for all matters of faith, morals, and practice. Through the inspired Word, God the Holy Spirit illuminates and guides believers in their Christian walk and also prepares them for their future heavenly destination.
Our finite minds will never be able to comprehend all of the teaching of Scripture, but the essential truths related to our redemption and Christ-like living cannot be misunderstood. It was Abraham Lincoln who once observed: "Read the Bible for whatever reason you can accept and take the rest on faith, and you will live and die a better man."
John Burton, author of "Holy Bible, Book Divine," was an English Sunday school teacher with a concern for teaching spiritual truths to children. This text appeared in 1806 in Burton's Sunday school hymnal, which was titled Incentives for Early Piety. These words have since been spiritually profitable for both young and old:
Holy Bible, Book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine; mine to tell me whence I came, mine to teach me what I am;
Mine to chide me when I rove, mine to show a Savior's love; mine thou art to guide and guard, mine to punish or reward;
Mine to comfort in distress—Suffering in this wilderness; mine to show, by living faith, man can triumph over death;
Mine to tell of joys to come and the rebel sinner's doom: 0 thou holy Book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine.
Matthew 24:35 (NIV)
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
John 15:7 (NIV)
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NIV)
15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
12 For 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.
It was George Mueller who said:
"The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Word in our life and thoughts."
Determine to give the Bible a greater place in your life.
