How Could I Live Without It?

Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11

It was January 23, 1968, and the news was spreading quickly by radio, TV and in the printed press regarding a military incident. A United States Naval submarine had been captured by North Korea. It was a reconnaissance submarine, but was in international waters so shouldn't have had a problem. However, a sub spotter from North Korea picked up on our submarine, the USS Pueblo, and took it captive. On board were 83 men and they would remain in captivity for a year. It was not an easy time as all were tortured in varying degrees during their captivity. It was our family's privilege to hear one of the crewmen who had been on that submarine speak at the church we were attending at the time. The one thing he spoke of was how the men were kept in side-by-side cells and how they communicated. They weren't allowed to speak out loud to each other so they developed their own systems of speaking to each other by code and writing.

One of the things the men did was to slide small pieces of paper on the floor from cell to cell. On that paper, each man wrote down whatever Scripture verses they remembered from time past. It finally got to the point that there were several slips of paper to pass around for the men to read. The total of those slips of paper came to be known as the “Pueblo Bible.”

I recently saw on my computer a group of young adults who were meeting in secret in an Asian country that I won't give the name of. Two people came into the room where the young adults were seated in a circle, and in the middle of the circle placed two large suitcases. When the suitcases were opened they were full of new Bibles. Those young folks walked slowly to those suitcases and almost reverently picked up their own copy of a Bible. Some lovingly held their Bible close to them as if hugging that precious book. Most wept as they held their new Bible, while some even kissed their copy. While sitting in my living room looking at that scene play out before my eyes, I looked at just one of my bookcases where there are many Bibles of different versions. I use them for study in preparation for lessons I teach in various settings. I was stricken with the fact that I have so many copies of God's Word and take for granted that I will always have a copy of the Bible of my very own. The day IS coming, however, when even in our country, Americans could lose many Christian privileges that would shock us at the thought. The Bible will definitely be under attack and in some ways, already is.

A single friend of mine lived with her very old and dying mother. Both ladies had been students and lovers of God's Word for more years than they could count. At one point, my friend's mother was near death and not being very responsive. When the end seemed near for this dear mother, her daughter recalled a favorite verse her mother loved, so she began to quote Psalm 27:1 aloud. She said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation...” and suddenly in a weak, quiet voice, she heard her mother say, ”whom shall I fear?” With some shock, her daughter went on, “the Lord is the strength of my life;” and her mother finished the verse: “of whom shall I be afraid?” How interesting that even in this older ladies weakest moments before her Homegoing, the Scripture was as fresh on her mind as the prior fifty years or in her girlhood days.

Remember Vacation Bible School? I memorized more Scripture in those days than is believable. We had memory time, learned even more with the Bible stories we heard, and after a recess time (cookies & Kool-ade) there were more opportunities for learning more about God's Word. I still know many of those memory verses learned under Ruth Young and her helpers. Then as God would have it, Ruth enlisted me to teach memory time to the junior class when I was “too old” to be a VBS student. I learned even more there...the teacher always learns more than the students.

If you and I ever find ourselves in a place totally without the Word of God, written or on a media device, how much do we know by memory that could be of strength and comfort to us? Could we write some verses out on scraps of paper? Laying in bed in the darkness of night, how many verses can we recite to ourselves that somewhere in years past we memorized? Could we recite precious promises of God in our weakest moments, whether in times of depression, illness or even with our approaching Homegoing?

How much do we pay attention through the week to that special book that sits on our coffee table, bedside table or top of our refrigerator? How precious are the words we find in it. My husband and I had the privilege last summer of hearing Woodrow Kroll teach on Psalm 119. I'll never forget seeing him hold up his open Bible. In that moment he said, “This is the only book God ever wrote. I think He would be pleased if we read it.”

One of the major ways we can please God, is reading His writings and even committing some of it to memory. A great source of our own personal strength, joy and spiritual well-being is being in that most wonderful book that could ever be placed in our hands...God's precious Word.

Thank You, Father, for writing Your precious Word through Your Holy Spirit that not only brings us into a relationship with You, but that teaches and comforts us along the way. Create a hunger in me to know You better through Your wonderful book. In Jesus name....Amen