Virginia Brandt Berg (1898-1968)
THERE IS A PRECIOUS OLD SONG THAT HAS BEEN RINGING IN MY MIND ALL DAY AND BRINGING BACK MANY MEMORIES. Mother used to sing it when I was a child, and you will remember it if you had that kind of mother:
"SING THEM OVER AGAIN TO ME
Wonderful Words of Love.
Let me more of their beauty see
Wonderful Words of Life.
Words of Life and beauty,
Teach me faith and duty,
Wonderful Words, Beautiful Words,
Wonderful Words of Life."
OF COURSE THE SONG IS ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLE! And nothing could better describe the blessing of that precious Book. They are Words of Life! I have a friend who is so very frail that it just seems a miracle that she lives on, but she has a secret:
SHE DRAWS HER LIFE AND STRENGTH FROM READING GOD'S WORD. When she feels her strength failing, she just takes her Bible and gets alone and reads on and on until some verse gives her fresh courage, and some promise gives her faith to hold on.
SO DAY BY DAY SHE LITERALLY FINDS LIFE IN THE WORD: Wonderful Words of Life. And I am going to say that I do the same! I can understand it because it was through the reading of the Bible to me that I had life and strength restored when I was a hopeless invalid for years -- and that was years ago.
BUT IT'S STILL THE SAME TODAY! IF I GET DOWN IN SPIRIT OR TIRED, or the Enemy tries to discourage me or my strength fails, I find the strength and blessing in the word of God.
IF ONLY THOSE THAT ARE SO TROUBLED AND DISCOURAGED AND DEFEATED COULD REALIZE THAT IN THE BIBLE THEY WILL FIND THE HELP AND COMFORT THEY NEED, what a different world this would be! And how many problems would be solved! And if our Nation would go back to the faith of our fathers in that Book and live by its standards, what a difference there would be in these crises times also!
DO YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS THE ONLY BOOK IN LITERATURE THAT'S FORBIDDEN IN AMERICAN SCHOOLS? Yet it's the only Book in literature containing first-hand teaching concerning a personal permanent God! Every philosophy is freely taught in our schools except this!
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE GENERAL PRESENT ENLIGHTENMENT, I THINK THAT'S BIGOTED AND PREJUDICED, and so subversive of public morals, this barring of the Bible from the schools. I suppose ours is the only Nation except Godless atheistic Russia and her satellites -- the only Nation on Earth whose schools are entirely divorced from this teaching about God.
TO THINK OF THE BIBLE BEING BARRED FROM OUR SCHOOLS! NO WONDER AMERICA DOESN'T KNOW WHERE SHE IS GOING! Reminds me of a story I heard about a llama that had been shipped to this country supposedly to a zoo. But upon arrival to the certain stations, being questioned about to whom the animal was being shipped, the agent at the freight depot said,
"WELL, SHE DON' KNOW WHERE SHE'S GOIN' SHE DONE CHAWED HER TAG!" -- Well, I think sometimes American has done the same and she doesn't know where she's going; and she's so confused, and we have such contention between left and right and they're divided in opinion because we don't have any definite standards.
I WISH IT WERE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO TELL YOU OF THE LIVES I HAVE KNOWN THAT HAVE BEEN UTTERLY TRANSFORMED BY THE READING OF GOD'S WORD! Some of them raised to the greatest heights from the lowest depths. Indeed there is life and power in the Word of God!
AND SOME KNOW THIS AND YET THEY NEGLECT TO READ IT. And you wonder why you get down in spirit and so lacking in Christian graces, and lose patience. Everything else is given time and considered more important, and only just a few ragged ends of an hour -- a few minutes -- given to the reading that would have made the day beautiful and would have made the problem so much easier.
I JUST WANT TO SAY IT AGAIN THAT NATIONS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO HAVE A STANDARD BY WHICH TO LIVE. The question is, what is right? What is wrong? there must be a rule. There has to be a foundation. There must be a standard.
I WAS IN A CHRISTIAN HOME SOME TIME AGO when after a wonderful dinner the young people of the home excused themselves. And it came out, not by intention, that they were going to a cocktail party.
WE WERE SPEAKING THAT NIGHT IN OUR HOSTS' CHURCH and the host and hostess were greatly embarrassed that the family was not going to attend this meeting but they were going to this very worldly affair. And so the mother spoke up excusing the young people and she said,
"BUT YOU KNOW HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TODAY! AND THE STANDARDS ARE SO DIFFERENT TODAY, aren't they?" Well, it was a question and so I answered it. "No," I said, "they are not different for a real Christian, not for a real Christian home!
"THE STANDARD IS THE BIBLE FOR CHRISTIANS AND THAT HAS NEVER CHANGED." -- Yes, there has to be a standard and this is what God has given us! If you don't know what to do, if you can't decide what's right, go to your Bible, it makes every path very plain.
THIS BOOK CONTAINS THE MIND OF GOD, THE STATE OF MAN, THE WAY OF SALVATION, THE HAPPINESS OF BELIEVERS. Its Doctrine is Holy, its precepts are binding, its History is true, its decisions immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be Holy.
IT CONTAINS LIGHT TO DIRECT YOU, FOOD TO SUPPORT YOU, COMFORT TO CHEER YOU. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's comfort, the soldier's sword, the Christian's character. Here Heaven is opened, the gates of Hell disclosed, and Christ is the subject and the Glory of God its end.
OH, FILL YOUR MEMORY WITH IT! LET IT RULE YOUR HEART AND GUIDE YOUR FEET! Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth and health to the soul and a river of pleasure.
IT IS GIVEN TO YOU HERE IN THIS LIFE AND WILL BE OPENED UP AT JUDGMENT. It is established forever! Read your Bible! If you are troubled today, get some promise. Put your finger upon the promise and say,
"LORD YOU ARE NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS, THIS IS FOR ME." Read on and on until you find something that satisfies the hunger of your heart. God means it for you.
READ THE WORD, YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER THERE. God bless you! He's still on the Throne and He'll meet you and He answers prayer!