Then Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. (Nehemiah 8:5 NASB)

The people of Israel showed honor and respect for God’s Word, and so should we.

I lead Holy Communion at my church.  When I read our scriptural reference to prepare us for the partaking of Communion, Brother George stands while the rest of the congregation is seated.  I always admire his stance.  Brother George has come to be known as our walking Bible. He is seen with his Bible open and always has a Scripture verse for the moment.  Most every church has a Brother George, and I think we need more like him.

It is recorded in Nehemiah 8:3 (NASB) that Ezra read from the Book of the Law from early morning to midday.  They gave their undivided attention to Ezra’s reading of the Law.

Will it be any different for us?  Do we show greater interest in our morning newspaper, our favorite periodical, or the trending Tweets or Facebook posts?  At times, I might be guilty of allowing social media to trump God’s message to me—the Bible.

The Bible says, Taste and see that the Lord is good; (Psalms 34:8 NASB).  The Holy Scriptures are food for our spirit. Having a Bible and not reading it is like being given a lifetime gift card for a gourmet restaurant and not using it. It shows we do not believe the food is really that good, and we will never know until we try it.

When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, he said, “it is written” Matthew 4:4 (NASB).  How can we say it is written if we do not know what is written?

This year let’s have a plan to honor the Word of God. The most enduring legacy that you can leave those who will come after you will be your hunger for the Word of God.  The lasting image of your life will be you in your quiet place, feasting on God’s Word.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]