I have seen a cowboy mount a wild bronco and ride him
to a standstill. The bronco would buck, kick, paw and snort trying to throw the
rider. It requires great courage for the rider to risk life and limb to break a
bronco, but that’s not the most courageous thing a man can do in life. If the
cowboy makes the ride, he has only conquered an animal. I have seen fighters in
a boxing ring pit their skills against one another. The punishment a fighter
receives sometimes is unmerciful. His flesh might be bruised and his body
bleeding, but he ignores the pain and fights on. One might think that this is a
supreme act of courage, but in reality it isn’t. The victor has only conquered
another man.
Author Louis L’Amour once wrote a short story about a
man caught stealing a book from a library. The librarian noticed that the man was
acting strangely while looking at some books. The man would take books from the
shelf and run his hands over them before putting them back in their place. When
he took down a copy of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” he ran his hands over the
leather cover and then put the book under his coat and ran from the library.
The librarian gave chase and caught him. When asked for the book the man gave reason
for his act. He said he loved books and libraries, but he never has learned how
to read. He liked the feel of this particular book, so took it. Imagine having
such a feeling for books and not being able to read! Unfortunately for the
thief, his love for books could never enrich him. So sad to see, neither did it
enable him to enjoy the adventures in reading what he obviously cherished so
much.
[2 Timothy 2:15] “Do your best to present yourself to
God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and correctly
handles the word of truth.” Is it possible that we might do the same things to
God’s book? That we might have a love for it that goes no further than a
personal conquest or as unadventurous as for one who cannot read? How often do
we see unworn Bibles displayed in prominent places knowing that they are never
opened, much less read? If one has simply engaged them self in God’s Word to
conquer its content for argument sake, but the knowledge gained never used, it
will soon be left behind for other conquests. Like Louis L’Amour’s character
gained no real, lasting benefit from the books he could not read, so the
unopened, unread Bible gives no benefit to those who only own or display it. If
we are to truly benefit from the wisdom of God, then we must seek it from His
revelation to us, the Bible. If we are to be the people of God, then we should
know how to attain that status. And that source of information is found in the
Scriptures. God’s Word was not given to hurt us or complicate our life, but to
enhance our life and give it purpose. In the end, being unable to read, even though
you might want to, and being able to read and not doing so, is the same thing.
Jesus once challenged his followers with “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and
do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). To follow Jesus means to abide in his
teachings both to learn and to imitate (James 1:22-25).This is the essence of
what it means to be a disciple. I have seen a man come before the church with
head bowed low and tears of repentance flowing from his eyes. He had been cut
to the heart by God’s Word. He had been made to know the mystery and consequence
of sin. He uttered a painful and humbling statement, “I have sinned.” He was
seeking forgiveness from God and man. It is in this scene that one witnesses
the supreme act of courage. You see, such a man has conquered himself! It seems
that just naming the name of Jesus and following our own conscience is not
sufficient to be truly obedient (1Peter 1:13-16).
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