Pastor’s Pen Pulpit

August 14, 2005

PREAMBLE TO THE GIDEON BIBLE

Eva and I recently returned from a trip to the great Northwest! Although our “motel” this time was the home of our daughter, it has been our delight on past vacations to find Bibles placed by the Gideons in virtually every hotel or motel room in which we have stayed. In perusing the internet for this Pen Pulpit, I came across the preamble which is found in the front of every Gideon Bible and was so impressed upon reading it that I want to share it with you, along with some thoughts for reflection.

The Gideon International serves as an extended missionary arm of the church. Our sole purpose is to win men, women, boys and girls to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ through association for service, personal testimony, and distributing the Bible in the human traffic lanes and streams of everyday life.

The Bible – it contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy. It s precepts are binding. Its histories are true. Its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise. Believe it to be safe. Practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass. It is the soldier’s sword, the Christian’s charter. Here is paradise restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject. Our good its design; the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory and rule the heart and guide the feet. So, read it slowly and read it frequently and read it prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, a river of pleasure. It is given you in life. It will be opened in judgment. It will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility. It will reward the greatest labor and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

You have the Bible. It is a great privilege. It is a great advantage. It is a grave responsibility.

I would like to extract three phrases from the preamble and expand them to enhance our understanding.

1. Read it slowly. There is no place for speed-reading when it comes to Scripture. The meaning of Scripture is often hidden beneath the surface. Therefore to get underneath the surface we have to go slowly to allow the Holy Spirit to bring the truth to our hearts Read the passage over and over and over again. It is easy to overlook important words and phrases. Reading slowly also gives us the opportunity to ask questions of the text.

2. Read it frequently. One can’t read the Bible too often. We need to be in its pages every day (Matthew 4:4). The more frequently we read the Word the more familiar we become with its teaching. I also realize that some may be able to read it more frequently than others. I heard of one pastor who read the Gospel of John 90 times before he began his preparation of messages. There’s one thing for certain - when you read a book that many times, you know what’s in the book!

3. Read it prayerfully. Ultimately, anything you receive and retain from the Word will be made possible by the Holy Spirit. As you read the Word of God, ask God to give you understanding of its content.

So whatever translation you use, make the Word of God a priority in your daily reading. God bless!

Love to you all,