II Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Job 23:12 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
My family and I enjoyed an amazing vacation this past summer, that included a cruise through the Caribbean. In the midst of such captivating family time, my son and I were selected to compete against other parent-kid combos to see “How Well Do You Know Your Family” in front of a large group of other cruisers.
The gist of the game is simple. The host would ask a question, and the parent would have to guess how their child would answer; and vice versa. It was all designed to be fun, and it was! Everyone was laughing and the rest of our family was cheering us on. And, we were doing okay.
Eventually I was asked what my son would want with him if he were stranded on a desert island, and it couldn’t be survival or rescue related. I thought he would pick Legos. His answer was a Rubik’s Cube. We were close, but we ultimately failed to get that one right. At the time, though, we didn’t realize how badly we failed.
When we finished the game and got back with our family, our oldest child had one thing to say to us: “You guys are buffoons!” Granted, we didn’t win, but I thought we did well enough to have not reached buffoon status. “Why?” I asked. “Because the answer to the desert island question is obvious,” she said, “A Bible!”
Yes, we were buffoons, and it stings a bit thinking about how right she was (I’m sure you are all probably far more spiritual than me and can’t relate right now). To be technically accurate, the Bible is both survival and rescue related. But, it is far more than that, and my son and I should have both been thinking along those lines. And, it would have been a great testimony to give such an answer in front of the large crowd. Alas, we didn’t, and sometimes as American Christians, we all fall into the same boat (cruise pun intended).
God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It constantly illuminates what we are to do and where we are to go. God’s Word tells us what is right, what is not right, how to get right, and how to stay right. It guides us into maturity and effectiveness. It should be esteemed far more than even our necessary food, and truly more than even a lavish cruise buffet.
PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD PROPERLY AND RIGHTFULLY ESTEEM GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIVES. May we avoid being buffoons by maintaining its primacy in our lives.
