These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Deuteronomy 6:6
…that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law… Deuteronomy 27:2b-3a
Lighthouses are often a symbol of God’s guiding light. There is a lighthouse in Sabine Pass, Texas that was constructed of brick in 1856, and because of the soft ground, eight concrete buttresses to give it stability. Standing eighty-five feet above sea level, it was the tallest lighthouse along the Gulf Coast at that time. It had one of the largest and most modern lens’ of its day (a third order Fresnel). People often boasted that the lens never had to be replaced. (The still-functioning lens is on display in a Port Arthur museum.)This lighthouse was built strong enough to withstand many hurricanes and survived the famous Battle of Sabine Pass unscarred. It was latter discovered that a biblical scripture was permanently inscribed into the lens.
As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit – the guiding light, living in us. Those around us see the light of His Word in us to guide them through the storm in their lives and the raging battle in their spirits. When we have the scriptures permanently inscribed in our hearts, we can be strong and continually shine for those who are blind to Him.
Is the Word of God inscribed in your heart? Do you read your bible daily? Or do you wait until Sunday morning to open it? Do you read it like a novel when you do open it? Or do you study it, memorize it, and engrave it in your heart?
God’s Word is powerful. It is the strength that holds us up – rain or shine. It lifts us when we’re slumped and keeps us rock-solid so that we can withstand the storms in our own lives.
Today in America, we have many tools to help us study the Bible and gain knowledge. This can help us in general discussions about the Bible. But, even without these tools, prayer is greatest tool we can have. To be a light of God’s Word we must have the Holy Spirit in us, or else we only have biblical knowledge.
The Bible is not so readily available in other countries. John Van Diest, a speaker and editor, went to a convention in Russia and brought boxes of Bibles to give away. He and his wife were being watched closely because they are Christians. During the night someone stole the Bibles from his booth in the convention hall. The next day a man came to the booth and asked for a Bible. John told him they were stolen and he only had his own Bible. The man asked if he could have an empty box that the Bibles came in. Why? To remind him of the Bible. The next day the man brought a camera and stood in the booth all day taking pictures of each page of John’s Bible so he could have a copy of the Bible. That is how zealous the man was about the Bible.
We need to be that passionate about reading the Bible. My prayer is that God will give us passion for His Word and engrave it in our hearts so that we may be a guiding light to the world around us.
