06/03/2026
THE UNUSED HEIRLOOM
John Underhill writes, " In January, 1984, I was painting the home of an 89-year-old lady in Spokane. She had a large family Bible prominently displayed on the coffee table and remarked that it was 116 years old and a priceless heirloom. I commented on how remarkable that was, and added, 'It doesn’t matter how old the Bible might be, what’s on the inside is what matters.'
She immediately replied, 'Oh, I know. That sure is the truth. Why, we have family records and births and marriages and deaths that go so far back, all recorded in that Bible; we could never replace them.'”
For many people, the bible is the most important and most unread book that they have. They do not see the irony in that situation. Bibles are great to have, but they are meant to be more than just an ornament or a family heirloom. They are the instruction manuals for our lives. (OK, maybe that's a bad example, as I tend to ignore all instruction manuals, and simply rely on my own know how and mechanical abilities.)
Bibles are meant to be read, and studied. God's word is meant to challenge us, and stretch us, and instruct us, and inspire us.
If you are not making God's word a part of your day every day, then you are missing out on one of the things that should sustain you as a believer.
Do this. Challenge yourself to read a little bit every day. Maybe one chapter. Maybe ten verses. But don't just run your eyes over the page. READ IT. Study it. Meditate on it. Try to figure out what it means, and what it is saying to you.
And remember the words of George Mueller, who said, "It is a common temptation of Satan to make us give up the reading of the Word and prayer when our enjoyment is gone; as if it were of no use to read the Scriptures when we do not enjoy them, and as if it were no use to pray when we have no spirit of prayer. The truth is that in order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer is to continue praying. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray."
