Bits and Pieces – 181st Edition – September 17, 2023

“The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver”  [Psalm 119:72].

     Archibald Naismith, who invested over forty years of his life in India as a Christian teacher, tells that when his family returned home to Great Britain for a prolonged holiday, one of his sons, a boy of about six or seven years, attended school for the first time in Britain.  One day the young boy came home and reported that he had to write a short essay on the topic ”My greatest Treasure.”  When he finally showed his parents his completed composition, they were overjoyed to read his first sentence: “My greatest treasure is my Holy Bible.”

     This young boy’s testimony should be the testimony of every child of God.  Each believer should be able to say, “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea above fine gold” [Psalm 119:127].  The question is, can we honestly give this as our testimony?  It is easy to pay lip service to the value of the Bible while largely ignoring it.

     If we truly esteem God’s Word, we will read it. It will be our most read book.  Day by day we will peruse its pages.  Furthermore, if we honestly hold God’s Word to be more valuable than silver and gold, we will not allow the pursuit of gold and silver, the business of the world, to hinder us from spending time in it.  We will esteem Scripture above our very food and will not latch on to vain excuses to neglect it.

     Again, if we really set such a value on God’s Word, we will obey it.  Our regard for God’s law will be evidenced by our submission to it.  Of course, such an esteem for the Word of God will express itself in spreading the Word.  When we recognize what a treasure the Bible is, we cannot rest while multitudes lie in ignorance of its message.  Is this the value we place on the Word of God?  [Dr. Stanley Barnes].

“The greatest poem, whether of ancient or modern literature”  [Tennyson].

“More magnificent and sublime than any other book of Scripture”  [Martin Luther].

“I call that Job is one of the grandest things ever written with pen”  [Carlyle]

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver”  [Ecclesiastes 5:10].

     Whereas heavenly treasure is eternally secure, all earthly treasure stands in jeopardy of loss.  [Matthew 6:19-21].  Because hearts and treasures are inseparable, we must set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth [Colossians 3:2].  Understanding this logic is easy; putting it into practice is sometimes difficult.  As creatures of time, we become more consumed with preparing for earth than for heaven.

     Our materialistic society compounds the problem.  Everywhere we look, we see struggles to achieve pleasure, possessions, and property.  The world, and unfortunately some Christians, measure success by “things.”  Life becomes a race for “things.”  The more people get, the more they want. Experience, however testifies to the truth of Solomon’s conclusion that money cannot satisfy.

     Solomon was well qualified to condemn things as the secret to a happy life.  He had unsurpassed wealth, a large retinue of servants, and extensive property. Ecclesiastes 2 recounts his thorough investigation of these things as they related to life.  After all was done, he concluded that things provided no advantage; they were as empty as breath and as futile as chasing after the wind [v11].

     The quest for things can never bring happiness or satisfaction.  We must learn this lesson. We must thankfully receive whatever God gives us in this life and use it for His glory.  But regardless of what we have or do not have in this world, we must by faith be more committed to heaven than to earth.  We will be when we remember that our greatest asset in heaven is Christ Himself, who causes us to possess all spiritual blessings in Him. [M.B.]

Rev. Richard, his wife Renay and sons, Romaine and Rowayne.   Address: The Free Presbyterian Church of Little London, P.O.Box 87, Station Road, Little London, Westmoreland, Jamaica.

Prayer requests.  1. For spiritual growth and the true concept of salvation.  2. For a greater zeal and passion for righteousness.  3. That the Lord may continue to use us to proclaim His glorious truth.

“He that abideth in me, and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”  [John 15:5].