2 Things I Know about your Bible
How many Bibles do you own? How many Bibles are in your house? Think through the nightstands, bookshelves, drawers, and closets. Does every member of your family own a Bible? Are the Bibles you own translated in your heart language? Is it easily accessible; easily understood? Is it readily obeyed?
What a privilege it is to hear the Word of the Lord! What a privilege to have his Word in our heart language, just a reach away! God graciously revealed himself to us and then delivered his Word through men like John Wycliffe, who translated the first hand-written English manuscripts of Scripture, William Tyndale, who was executed after translating the Bible into English, and Chinese Christian bookstore owner, Shi Weihan, who was arrested a few years ago for printing and distributing Bibles.
What a privilege to have God’s Word! What a joy to hear the Lord speak through the living, active Word of God! What a calling, to cling to his Word and obey! This was Jonah’s calling, and this is my prayer for our families today.
In Jonah chapter 1, Scripture reads, “The word of the Lord came to Jonah." There are around 2000 people groups around the world without any portion of Scripture in their own language. Those nations represent more than 200 million people who have never had the privilege of hearing God’s Word in their language. Jonah hears from the Lord. The Lord speaks to him…in his language. What a privilege! What a joy! What a calling to now obey!
The Lord’s word to Jonah is, “Go.” This is Jonah’s personal Great Commission. Jonah is a prophet. He has already spoken God’s Word to God’s people. Now, God is calling his prophet to do what prophets do, namely, to prophesy; to speak God’s Word. Only this time, God is sending him, not to his own people, but to another nation.
God is a missional God! He is on mission every single day, and He graciously invites us to join Him. He speaks to us. He commissions us. He sends us.
Do you remember the first time the Lord spoke to you? What did he say? Do you remember the first time his Word came alive in your life? How did you respond? Do you remember the calling, the commission, the commands the Lord has placed on your life?
God’s heart for the nations is Obedience, but he doesn’t leave the nations without a witness, forcing them to guess his will. He speaks. He sends. He saves. When we receive the joy of his eternal Word, we are to reflect his heart for the nations by obeying His Word.
The heart of discipleship, the heart of following Jesus, is obedience. Jesus says that if we love him we will obey him. The Great Commission, that commands us to make disciples, expects obedience to be a part of the discipleship process. Even Paul, in Romans 1, understands that his mission is to see the Gentile nations obeying Christ.
It is a privilege to hear the Word of the Lord, and it is a tragedy to disobey the Word of the Lord.
Initially, Jonah disobeys. Rather than obeying the Great Commission, he responds with the great conjunction: “But.” He hears the Lord speak, in his heart language, and yet, he rebels. He flees. Jonah 1:3 tells us three times that Jonah disobeyed. Three times it repeats that Jonah went to Tarshish. Not Nineveh. Tarshish.
God’s heart for his prophet, His people, & all nations is obedience. Jonah fails to show God’s heart for the nations for he disobeys the Word of God. What a tragedy to hear from the Lord and to run the other way!
What a tragedy to come to the church house and hear God’s Word week after week only to dismiss, ignore, disobey, and run the other way!
What a tragedy to have the Bible translated into your own language, just to let it sit on a shelf rather than hiding it in our hearts!
What a tragedy to have a God-given calling on your life only to settle for the American Dream!
What a tragedy to receive wisdom from the Creator of the Universe only to depend upon the counsel of Oprah!
What a tragedy to be invited into the presence of the Lord only to exchange His company for extra sleep!
What a tragedy to be included in the greatest mission on earth only to choose the comfort of the familiar!
What a tragedy to disobey the Word of the Lord!
I don’t know how many Bibles you have in your home, but I do know two things about your Bible: (1) It is a privilege to have the Lord’s Word in your hands. (2) It is a tragedy to disobey it.
Jonathan Williams is the founder of Gospel Family Ministries and the Senior Pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church, a multi-ethnic church of 44 nations located in Houston, TX.
