The last time I was at home, I reached down and picked up the old family Bible. It was old and worn, and the myriad sensations of joy, sadness and wonder that it brought to my mind were quite moving. Looking at the family register, I relived, in my mind, some of the joyous moments of birth, marriage and happy occasions recorded there. I felt again, the heartrending memories of loved ones as I noted the dates of their passing from this life.
In the twinkling of an eye, I recalled the joy of birth, the hope of life and the sadness of death on the pages of this old, treasured family Bible. Although these precious memories spanned many years in their passing, they were all still summed up in the briefest of notes on those few pages. I shivered as I recalled the finality of the prophet Job’s chilling summary of a man’s life. He said, “Man that is born of woman is of a few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth as a flower and is cut down. He fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not” (Job 14:2). The prophet Amos spoke serious words to the disobedient forces of Israel. He reminded them of Sodom and Gomorrah, and promised just the same sort of destruction upon them because they repented not nor turned from their wicked ways. Listen to his words from God the Father: “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12).
As I reflected upon these sobering thoughts, I wondered just how sad it would be if such was all there was to a man’s life. That, I realized, was not all there was to it! I had treasured the faith I had been blessed to know from this very same Bible. Therefore, I am totally persuaded that the story of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, is just as real as any of the family records recorded upon the pages of the family registry contained therein.
The Bible, if read regularly and conscientiously, will instill faith that will not falter. It will give strength enough to face any of life’s trials, and the hope it genders will provide reason and surety for the trying of one’s way. Even if the Bible should turn out to be a hoax at the end of our lives, those who have lived by its high and holy standards will have already been blessed enough to warrant their belief in it, and will be that much better off than any who refuse to accept its precepts.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12). From the beginning of time to this present day, courtrooms have been filled with family feuds, and many have been included in memorial services because family members disagreed with records in “family Bibles,” and the disputes ended in the deaths of family members who should have been loving and kind to one another, but were not! Sometimes even the courts were not able to determine the truth in some cases, but there is one thing for sure, when the Lord of heaven and earth declares the verdict of man’s earthly actions and life, there will be no mistakes, and no retrials! Thy Word is truth!
