READING: Ezekiel 35-36, 2 Peter 1
“. . . men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1:21
They gently handled the one copy of the Bible in their language. Each believer read one verse, passed the Bible to the next person to read the next verse, and he or she then followed suit by passing it on. They read quietly and reverently, but passionately. I was humbled simply to watch and listen, for it felt like I was eavesdropping on a holy moment. I wept briefly as the folks read the Word of God in a language I did not understand.
“These” folks were Christians in an East Asia country. They knew the risk they were taking to read the Word this way, but their desire for the Word trumped their fears of persecution. They were willing to take the risk, and their faith in God put mine to shame.
Particularly, these believers had great respect for the Word. In some ways, it seemed they better understood Peter’s words about the Bible than most churches I know: “No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:20). The Bible is not simply another book; rather, it is truly God’s Word. No man developed the message on his own — it is instead the product of the Spirit as He “carried along” the writers without ignoring their personalities.
If I were to continually meditate on this truth, I should then deeply want to read and understand more the God of the Bible.
ACTION STEPS:
- Consider the miracle behind inspiration of the Word of God. Thank God for His plan.
- Consider the witness of believers around the world who crave the Word more than most of us do.
PRAYER: “Father, I’m amazed and humbled by your willingness to talk to us. I praise You.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Ezekiel 37-39, 2 Peter 2