What’s the most valuable thing this world can give you?
Earlier this morning, Saturday, May 6, King Charles III was crowned King of the United Kingdom in a worship service at Westminster Abbey. At a certain point in the service, he was presented with a Bible, by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. As the Moderator presented the Bible to the King, he said these words: “receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.” There are many gifts this world gives us, but, the most valuable of all is the Bible.
This week in my LifeGroup, two of our group were sharing about having just finished reading through the four gospels with each other, over the course of 90 days—something we call the 90 Day Challenge. You read one chapter of the gospels each day, sharing your answers to two reflection questions with your buddy via text message: (1) What did I learn about Jesus? (2) What is Jesus asking me to do? Both of the men who recently completed this were raving about the experience and were talking about how it had totally transformed their faith journey.
The Bible is the most valuable thing this world can give you, because its very words reveal who God is. Principally, they do that by revealing Jesus, both in the Old Testament, as Jesus taught the two on the road to Emmaus: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) And in the New Testament, which much more clearly reveals who Jesus is.
Tomorrow, in our 10:30 worship service, we will be presenting all our second-grade students with their own copy of the Bible. As they receive it, the pastor will say to them the same words that the Moderator of the Church of Scotland said to King Charles III this morning: “receive this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.” And our prayer is that they would come to know and believe that truth for themselves.
But what about you? Do you treat the Bible as the most valuable thing that the world has given you? Is it your most valuable possession? If not, what might it look like for you to elevate its value in your life? Perhaps you could try the 90 Day Challenge and invite a friend to do it with you?
See you tomorrow at 9:00 or 10:30 am.
Pastor Ellis