As a follower of Christ, it is so great that I and other Christians have The Bible to read as the sole authority of our faith and are able to apply it to our lives. It is so comforting to know that God's Word never changes and that God is constant. Psalm 119:89 (NASB) tells us, "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." This is great because I can know what is biblical or not by just meditating on His Word and seeing the brokenness of the world today- without stuttering or stammering, I firmly believe my life is proof of that.
I recently had an amazing time attending a Christian apologetics conference at a local seminary about 30 miles west of my college campus.
I went with a group of friends, most of them from my apologetics club. The start of that conference was spent watching a dialogue between a Christian and a skeptic. The time was engaging and thoughtful, and the group of six I came with split into two separate groups to discuss afterward. Minutes later, I discovered that one group became really interested concerning matters of theology. Four of us got back in my friend's truck as we drove to IHOP to continue the late night talk, and the fun only progressed from there.
As we sat down at our table, I could remember my friends being so engrossed with the discussion, delving in the Bible and supporting passages for the cases being made, especially on values like grace. While being patient for our waitress and listening to my friends, I was singing one or more contemporary Christian songs with the music in my mind. While we were eating, a couple times or more I wanted to share my thoughts; instead, I thought better to listen without breaking the harmony of the conversation.
That night, I couldn't help but notice when one of my friends, referring to Scripture, said with confidence and glee, "This is just so beautiful!" Another friend noticed it, too, as he said it multiple times. We playfully laughed and teased him about it while agreeing in unison how truly, truly beautiful the Bible is for us.
Questions I ask for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ: Have you ever thought of a time when you remarked Scripture for its Truth and its beauty? Is it no wonder why we value the Bible as His Word so much, and rightly so?
While the saying, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," is true because of the opinionated nature of beauty itself and what we can comprehend of it, I firmly believe beauty in all forms wasn't created by the shifting sands of culture, the fashion world of Paris, the American Dream, the fantastic works of literature, the scenes of Hollywood, or even the imperfect yet wonderful church. Rather, I believe beauty is first and foremost defined and was started by the embrace and majesty of God Himself. I also believe that the Lord is the true giver of life and beauty, too.
I can only imagine here the treasures like that night with my friends await me and others in Heaven. I can't wait for that time, that place, that point when God calls me Home. For now, my job is to live for Him and Him only. I can't wait to see the Savior of my life and of the beautiful Scripture, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), welcome me. As W.A. Criswell said, "...I have yet to touch the hem of His garment."