WHERE DO YOU KEEP THE BIBLE?

Where do you keep the Bible in your home? On the shelf? We have lots of Bibles on our bookshelves. In fact, I have a whole shelf of different translations. Beside your bed? On the table? In the bathroom? On your iPhone? It’s great to have God’s Word in all these places, ready to pick up wherever you happen to be. But even if we have twenty or more Bibles in our home, it’s not enough. We’ve got to keep it even better places.

The Bible itself tells us where it’s meant to be:

IN OUR MINDS

Psalm 119:48: “I will meditate in thy statutes.” (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; and 119:15;130). Our mind is filled with God’s Word because we read it at every opportunity. We establish Family Devotions in our home to make sure our children receive God’s Word at least two times a day. More is better. They can never get enough. It is their wisdom, their education, their life, their guide, and their discernment to know what is of God and what is not.

IN OUR HEARTS

Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” We know we have to get it past our minds and down into our hearts. Have your children got God’s Word in their hearts? Is it settled in their hearts? Is it the foundation on which they base everything they learn? When we, and our children, have God’s Word imbedded into our hearts, it keeps us walking in God’s way and never veering to the right or left. I love Psalm 37:31:”The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.”

Read also Deuteronomy 6:6,7; Psalm 40:8; 119:34; 111; 161; Isaiah 51:7; and Luke 2:19, 51.

IN OUR MOUTHS

We think it is enough to keep God’s Word in our hearts. No, God wants it in our mouths. He wants it in our children’s mouths. He wants it in our grandchildren’s mouths. Isaiah 59:21 is God’s vision for us as we raise our families: “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy MOUTH, shall not depart out of thy MOUTH, nor out of the MOUTH of thy seed, nor out of the MOUTH of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and forever.”

Is God Word freely in your mouth? Is God’s Word in your children’s mouths? When you are sitting together with them at lunch today, quote the beginning of some Scriptures. Stop half way through and see if they can finish the verse. Our children should be familiar with God’s Word. It should be coming out of their mouths.

Read also Psalm 116:10; 119:13; Romans 10:9, 10; 2 Corinthians 4:13; and Hebrews 10:23.

IN OUR HANDS

Psalm 149:6: “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.” Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God and is part of or armor. We can’t live without it. We can’t fight off the temptations of the devil without it (Hebrews 4:12 and Revelation 1:16). In fact Psalm 149:7-9 tells us more of the power of this sword we have in our hearts, mouths, and hands: “To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: THIS HONOR HAVE ALL HIS SAINTS. Praise ye the Lord.”

IN OUR FLESH

What does Proverbs 4:22 say about God’s Words? “For they are life unto those that find them, and HEALTH to all their flesh.” The word “health” in Hebrew means “medicine, healing, a cure.” God’s Word translations says: “They HEAL THE WHOLE BODY.” The Knox translation says: “They bring life and healing to his whole being.”

When we constantly speak God’s Word OUT LOUD our body hears it. God’s Word is life and healing and the more our bodies hear it, the more they live in divine health (Proverbs 3:18 and 16:24).

Make sure God’s Word is in the right places.

Blessings from Nancy Campbell

PICTURE: Our grandson, Zadok Johnson, who passionately loves the Word, God's two-edged sword, and who seeks to win souls to Jesus each new day.

QUESTION: Did you get a chance to look up the extra Scriptures listed? It's not my words, but God's Words that changes our hearts and lives. Check them out when you can.