February 17, 2015

Treasuring the Word

The past couple weeks at our church we have been looking at the importance of Gods Word in our lives. I have been challenged by the teaching, as well as, a recent MAF video of a Papuan community celebrating Gods word in their own language for the first time.  Of the 250+ languages in Papua, this is only the 3rd full Bible translation.  Here were some of my thoughts regarding how we should treasure the word of God.



 Deuteronomy 6:4-7 calls us to constantly engage in Gods Word by ourselves and with others. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command to you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." 



Gods word is intended to bring change to our lives, and an increased fruitfulness as we pursue a relationship with God through his word.  I love the picture in Psalms 1:2-3 "but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." 

Do we really treasure Gods Word as the Psalmist describes here as delighting in the law of the Lord? I know I fall short in this so many times, and it is my prayer to have the words jump off the page and into my heart and not just my head.

 It is also so easy to take the Bible for granted with the variety of translations and resources at our fingertips, but I was reminded of how so many people around the world do not have the Bible in their own language.



Recently MAF was able to fly in Bibles to the Hupla tribe in Papua who had never had the whole Bible before in their own language. The New Testament was completed in 1994, but it took more than 20 years for the Old Testament to be completed to make up the full Bible. Below is the video link if you would like to take a few minutes to watch the celebration that took place in this village, and see the peoples excitement and emotion. It is so awesome to see the transforming work of the Gospel in this community!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lNzfDGWbD8







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