Scepter, Lamp, Mirror, Breeze!
"Lord, keep my lamp burning….
Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path."
Psalm 18: 28; 119: 105
John Blanchard read this intriguing quote from
Reformer John Calvin: “The Bible is the scepter
by which the heavenly King rules His people.”
Blanchard agreed, but he added: “This does not mean
that we are to look upon it as a rod of iron. Nor, on the
other hand, is it to be treated trivially as some kind of
religious toy, to be used for our spiritual entertainment.
Instead, it is meant to be a
constant means of enlight-
enment, enrichment, and encouragement, its dynamic
influence bringing a
deepening joy into our daily lives.”
How odd that the practice of Bible reading sometimes
feels dull or dutiful. Let’s shake ourselves free from the
legalism of monotonous Bible reading and learn the
life-giving fascination of abiding in
its words.
Make up your mind to read the Bible with fresh
prayers for insight and fresh perspective. Make
it a joyful experience. Try some new methods.
Use your pencil or pen.
Ask God to make His
Word to you as a golden
scepter, a living book, a blazing fire, a heavenly
breeze, a revealing mirror, a nourishing meal,
and a shining lamp.
"The Bible is the book I live with,
the book I live by, the book I
want to die by."
N. T. Wright
