2 Timothy 2:15 says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The King James says Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The Greek word ‘spoudazo’ begins the sentence, and it means to exert one’s self, to do diligence. So, we are to work hard so that God is pleased with us and so that when we are sharing truth from the Word of God, we do not shame ourselves with our ignorance caused by a lack of effort. This is a command to Christians, all Christians, not just Timothy and not just at that time in which the verse was written. It is not a suggestion, it is not an option. It is a command.

          Yet, I have heard many Christians say, “Well, you know, the Bible says somewhere that………” What they are saying is, “I think the Bible says……” They don’t really know. There is nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know, but I will look it up for you.” But, for some reason they don’t want to look uninformed, so instead they go out of their way to prove they are uninformed. The one I really cannot stand is when a Christian is trying to explain to another person why something bad has happened is, “The Bible says, ‘The Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to unfold.’ Trust in that. It will all work out.” Except, the Bible doesn’t say that the Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to unfold. Nor does the Bible say that it will all work out. It doesn’t always work out. It often gets really bad. The Bible does say in Romans 8:28, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  That isn’t saying it will all work out, it is saying that for that person loves God and is following Him in their lives, seeking to do His will and purpose, whatever is to happen will be for His good. Here is something else that is really, really important. The passages in the Bible that are comfort passages or promise passages only apply to believers. They do not apply to the lost. When a lost person needs comfort, they need to be told that comfort begins with salvation through Jesus Christ. If a lost person believes that all the comforts in the Bible are his and if that lost person believes that everything is going to work out, why do they need salvation? Isaiah 40:28-31 is a wonderful passage of comfort. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. What a joyous message for the weary and nearly broken! But, Isaiah was writing to the few who were followers of the Lord.

          When we do not study, when we are not prepared to handle God’s Word, we can say some really damaging things, even to the point allowing a lost person to believe that they, or their lost loved one, will go to heaven regardless. We have been commanded to study.

          It is also important to remember the times in which Paul said these words to Timothy. The only copies of the Bible were hand written. Hardly anyone had a copy. Among the Jews, the people would listen to the Scripture being read at the Temple and they would write it down. Then they would memorize what they had written. After they were convinced they had correctly memorized the passage, they would often place their written passages in a small box they would strap to their foreheads. This is called in our English Bibles a frontlet. They would wear this frontlet on the Sabbath or the Day of Atonement or some other Holy day. The symbolism was that when they entered the Temple, the Word went before them. For the early Christians this practice was largely not done, but they kept their own writing on scrolls and in their minds. It was precious to those people.

          Right now, as you read this, do you know where you Bible is? Have you read it today, or are you relying on a devotional to do the work for you? A few weeks ago, I preached out of Habakkuk. Did you find it easily, or did you give up?

           Why have we come to have such a cavalier attitude about the Bible? Several years ago, I was a guest speaker in a church. I remarked to the church leader who was standing with me as the people were walking in, “Folks don’t bring their Bibles to church here?” He chuckled and said, with pride, “No need. We have pew Bibles. When you read your Scripture, give them the page number of where the passage is in their pew Bible and then read it from that translation.” This was a time when I was working with churches in crisis. When a person fails to bring their own copy of the Word to worship it tells me one of two things. First, they may not have one but they are seeking they Lord. In that case, Bravo! The second thing it tells me is that they are not attached to their own Bible, it is not a part of their daily lives. It is not important enough to bring to church, just something to weigh them down. In that case, shame on you. I told that church leader that a big part of their problem was a lack of respect toward the Word. I also told him that I had brought my own copy, which I would read out of, and besides, their pew Bible was a truly horrible rendering of the Word of God. (Oddly enough, they had me back every Sunday for six months while they worked at reorganizing their failing church.)

And then, there was the church we were at where a young man came up to me before church and asked me what translation I would use that day. I told him, but then asked why. He had the Bible in a phone app with ten different translations. I started paying attention and saw that over half the congregation fired up their phones when it was time for me to preach. I started telling people turn in their Bibles or turn on their phones to whatever the passage was for the day. At that church there were Bibles if you needed them on a back table, but every one of the members either carried their Bible in or had the app. That was a great church.

John 1:1-5 says this; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. That Book you have somewhere in your house, that Book that has lost some of its importance in your life, that Book that you haven’t seen for a few weeks, is the very essence of God. Think about it for a moment. His very personality, His thoughts, His letter to you.

          I try to be quiet in the morning so as not to wake my wife. A couple of weeks ago I was trying to walk very quietly so as not to wake my sleeping beauty. I glanced down and saw one of her Bibles, opened on the night stand next to her. It could have been a book or a magazine, but it was her Bible. A part of her life. It can be for you, too.

Blessings.

ONE MORE THING!!! TIME CHANGE IS THIS WEEK. BEFORE YOU GO TO BED SATURDAY NIGHT, SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK AN HOUR. NO EXCUSES ACCEPTED FOR NOT BEING AT CHURCH ON TIME!