The Church Mouse

“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
(Psalms 119:11)

Are you reading your Bible and do you know what it says? Let me tell you this little story (not sure if it is true or not.)

There was this old preacher who was called to preach at a church in a nearby town. As was his custom he toured the Sunday school before he preached. He asked if he could visit with the young children’s class. 
He asked the teacher to step out of the room,  so he might inquire as to whether the boys and girls were being taught the Word of God.
He asked the class what he thought was a simple Bible question;
“Who destroyed the walls or who made the walls of Jericho fall down?”
A little boy named Johnny stood up and said.
“Preacher, I have done a lot of bad things but it wasn’t me this time. I do not even know where Jericho is! ”.
The preacher was very disturbed. He went to the teacher and asked her the question he had asked the little boy and repeated the little boy’s response. The Sunday school teacher said. 
“Preacher, I know that boy’s family and he is a good boy if he said he didn’t make those walls fall down, well I believe him.”
Now the preacher is really upset now and he goes off to find the head deacon of the church. He was very disturbed about the young boy and teacher’s answers to his question. He repeated the story to the Deacon. The old Deacon stood up and said.
“Now preacher you do not need to be disturbed. This church is a giving church and I’m sure we have enough money in the building fund to rebuild those walls.”

Now this is a cute little story, but what if it is true? Not just among those outside the church. But us Christians  inside the church. Many of those professing to be born again, children of God, admit to not knowing the Scriptures. Are you one of those people? 

I am sad to say, one survey I recently read, said over 70% of church goers do not read their Bibles each day. And I guess I am going to be bold and say that sometimes Christians have had a difficult time finding even their Bibles.

I know a young man who professed to read his Bible daily.  One Sunday he left it in my Sunday school classroom.  It remained there until the following Sunday. When I questioned him about reading his Bible, his reply was the same as the week before. “I read it every day.”  When confronted with the fact that his Bible was at the church all week. He stumbled around and finally stated that he used another Bible in his home. 

Now I am not passing judgment. I just want to make sure we are reading God’s instruction manual. Without reading the map we are surely going to get lost!

There is an old bluegrass song that says. “I’m Using My Bible as a Road Map.” 

My challenge to each of us the Lenten season is to fall in love with God’s Word. Read your Bible every day!

Prayer—“Heavenly Father, instill in us the desire to read more of your word.  Cause us to hunger and thirst for knowledge of you, so that we may be better servants for the building of your kingdom.  Forgive us when we sin and guide us to be in your will. Amen. “

the Church Mouse
work Hard; Pray Harder!