For I find my delight in your commandments, which I love.
Psalm 119:47

Sunday nights I am preaching through a series on worship. We have discussed the importance of the Word of God in worship. We are guilty of sometimes taking the Bible for granted and we are not the first people to do it. Israel did the same thing. As they broke covenant with God they became disconnected and lost. They lost their identity. When they abandoned God and worshiped idols they became no different than other nations. The redeemed were now captive once again because of their dependency on man rather than trusting in God. However, God is faithful and he pursues the lost. He sent Jesus, the Word in flesh, for the Jews and for all mankind.
There was a time when the Churches of Christ were known to be Christians who were “Bible toting and Bible quoting”. You don’t hear that quite as much. Even as years have passed we want to continue to strive to be a “people of the book”. I have been very impressed with the membership at New Road and the passion they have for the Word. There is nothing quite like the sweet life giving message of Scripture! From Genesis to Revelation, page after page we read the story of a God who desires to claim us as his own people. The Word of God is alive and it gives life to those who obey it. It convicts us of our sins and points us to faith in Christ that transforms and saves. The Bible teaches us that there is something better in life than sin, an abundant life!
For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law – Nehemiah 8:9. It is a touching scene as we God’s people hear the Scriptures read aloud and are moved to tears. Wow! They were convicted by God. It reminds me of a story Frank Farr (VP of Eastern European Missions) told me of when they were bringing Bibles to a church in Ukraine. As those gathered were receiving a Bible for the very first time, they immediately opened them and began reading. Happily, they received the Word of God. It was most precious to them. I pray that God fill our hearts with such a joy each time we open the Divine Message.