What do you value? You may have read or even been asked the following question, “If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only have three things, what would they be and why?” Usually, the answers reflect what we think we would need to survive or what we think we absolutely could not live without. How many of us would give one of the answers as the Bible? Do we recognize it and value it for its great worth and feel that we cannot live without it, or do we sometimes take it for granted?
My grandmother was an avid Bible reader. She would read her entire Bible through each year at least once and often two or three times. She hungered after the word of God, valued it highly, and was eager for her family to do the same. She didn’t become a Christian until she was in her 60’s so she wasted no time in learning all that she could from God’s Word and doing all she could to influence and encourage her family and friends to have a new life in Christ.
For about the last thirty years of her life, my grandmother lived with my aunt and uncle in Florida and whenever my family visited, I bunked with her. Let me tell you, she was a fun roommate! We would lay in bed at night and talk and giggle like two little schoolgirls having a slumber party. I have so many fond memories of those occasions. I also have vivid memories of her reading her Bible in bed before she went to sleep each night as well as seeing her reading her Bible throughout the day as she sat on the couch in her favorite spot.
My grandmother had seven children and fourteen grandchildren. One year, she gave each one of us a Bible that contained daily reading assignments in order to have it read through in a year. The Bibles were paperback and covered in plastic shrink wrap. Now, Grandma was a very clever woman. She had done something a little extra with these Bibles. She had carefully cut a slit in the plastic along the bottom and slipped a crisp, new twenty dollar bill up inside the pages of the Bible. She never told any of us that she had done this, nor did she drop any hints or ask us any questions about it. She simply left it up to each one of us to find the treasure inside.
The Psalmist, David, wrote a lot about how he valued and treasured the word of God, especially in the 119th psalm. In Psalm 119:127, he says, “Therefore, I love your commandments more than gold, yes, more than fine gold!” (NKJV) And in verse 14 of the same chapter, “I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.” David recognized that God’s Word is invaluable to us. It is the means of our salvation. (Romans 1:16) It is our comfort and our guide. (Romans 15:4; Psalm 119:11) It teaches and corrects us. (Psalm 119:66-67) It is priceless.
If none of us had ever opened up those Bibles, we would not only have never come across those twenty dollar bills, but we also would have missed out on something so much greater. For my grandmother, it wasn’t about the money; her point was for all of us to see the value of the words inside the covers – God’s words and how they could enrich our lives now and for all eternity.
I’m so thankful for my grandmother’s example of having a devotion to and great love for the Word of God and for her desire to share that Word with those she loved. May we each remember how blessed we are to possess the Word of God and value it for the treasure that it is. In the words of the Psalmist, “I rejoice at your word as one who finds great treasure.” (Psalm 119:162) 