All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Bibles have been on my brain the last several weeks. We recently celebrated Bible Sunday here in church so I was busy getting those ordered and organized. (Glad Mike pulled the last one from behind his back during presentation time, because I was about to change a humiliating tone of red!) Our children continue to be great at inviting their friends to Pioneer Clubs and there is nothing like handing a child a Bible who has never had one to read at home. It always amazes me to watch how they quickly pull it in close to their heart. It’s their very own copy and in some cases I believe may be the only one in their home.
Bible Sunday is a special day for our first and seventh graders here at ARC. The first graders stand nervously in the front of church, excited to finally receive their very own “big kid” Bible we talk about in Sunday School and Pioneer Clubs. As I hand the Bibles to the children their wide-eyed grins make me smile. They too hold their new Bible with much tender loving care. I was told one of our first graders was so excited for Bible Sunday this year, he was heard saying “I’ve waited my whole life for this day!” The excitement is second to none!
This year was a little different for me. As both the Children and Youth Coordinator and Mom, I was able to present Evan with his Bible. He was also very excited to receive his very own copy of the Bible. When we got home he sat on the couch and said “Mom, will you read to me.” I jumped at the invitation to sit and read with him because he has been trying to get out of reading – and anything else school related – since the third day of kindergarten. When I asked him where we should start, he looked at me funny and said “The beginning! And then the whooooole thing!” Well, we did not make it all the way to the end that afternoon, but my heart was happy watching him soak in the scriptures, I know he has heard before, in a whole new way.
I was thinking about all of these events as I was evaluating some of our Discipleship Process here at ARC. During Mike’s sermons he has referenced how the people would cheer as the Word of God was opened to be read to them. Why don’t we do that anymore? While I am sure the seventh grade students were excited to check out their new Bible, the enthusiasm of the moment wasn’t the same as the little ones. When do we lose that? My heart is now a bit troubled, bothered by the thought at some point in our journey we seem to lose some of the eagerness to flip through the delicate pages of God’s Word.
Friends of ARC, may it not be so with us that God’s Word did not create enough joy and anticipation in our hearts that we tired of it as we grew older. God has created us to be lifelong learners, so may it be said of us we looked to our Bible with great enthusiasm saying “Yes! I’ve waited my whole life for this!” each and every day.
Becky Ossefoort