It's amazing to think how the Bible is one of the most criticized pieces of literature today, but also remains one of the oldest and most timeless. So many people have attempted to attack, discredit, maim or even abolish the Bible. Everyone who has ever tried to cause God's Word to fail have one thing in common: they're all gone or will be gone. But the Bible still lives on, has the Bible ever failed? Apparently not.
Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." The Bible is the inspired written Word of God. What makes the Bible so powerful is not just the words and things said in it. After all, the Bible has also been misused and abused many times as well. What brings the Bible to life is the undeniable power of the Holy Spirit that comes through and to it.
Have you ever had that experience where you're completely down and out and then you hear a word from the Lord from scripture and it brings you back to life? I cannot count the times the Bible has saved me from burn-out, depression and catastrophic sin not because of the pages and ink it's made of but because of the God who works through it.
Isn't it great that God continues to speak to our hearts and minds through His Word?
That's why we can never say God has abandoned us and that's also why Joshua 1:8 commands us, "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
It's amazing to think how success and prosperity can come through the Bible and many times God proves it. The Bible is full of promises fulfilled, prophecies that have come to pass, principles that timelessly apply and hope that renews.
That's not to say that reading the Bible will solve all your problems each and every time, like a magic switch, but what's important is that you receive God's strength, wisdom and power to face stubborn dilemmas or bewildering life circumstances all over again - and that can be the deciding factor.
Again, it has nothing to do with the physical being of the book. So many people focus on the symbol that they miss out the Person it represents. I have seen Christians treat Bibles as holy artifacts that should be kept in glass containers instead of treating them as manuals that teach us about life and the God we live it for. Let's not be too much about the Bible, but be more about the Author, Protagonist and Publisher.
Has the Word of God ever failed? Based on experiences of people worldwide, it seems to be overwhelmingly obvious that God's Word continues to be powerful and effective in many ways, just as it has been for people who put their trust in Him down through the ages. Not because of the written letter or the book but because of the God who lives so evidently through it.
