second verse

A phrase that I can no longer use with a straight face, one that people who know me won't let me get away with, is to refer to any passage of Scripture as "one of my favorites," since at one time or another I have said that of so many Bible verses. When I recently taught and preached at Grace Bible Church in Ripley, Mississippi, my wife needled me over whether the verses I taught on might already be marked in my friend Fredia's Bible, signifying that I had previously taught there on those passages. "Are these some of your favorite verses?" she inquired.

Reflecting on this, I realized that I do tend to return to certain passages when teaching and illustrating. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB) we learn that all Scripture useful for teaching; in presenting the Gospel and in preaching Jesus, which is always my goal, I guess that I tend to use Scriptures that had the most impact on me. Does that make them my favorites?

I am like most in that I do not read my Bible as often as I think I should nor as much as I say that I would like to. When I read, a temptation I must avoid is to return to those "favorite" passages always, instead exposing my mind to the entirety of God's Word. I want to cherish all of the Word the way I do those "favorite" passages, but I rest assured that when I do return to those seemingly well-known verses, God always can teach me more through them. I guess that is what is meant by the Word being living and active.

This comment from Charles H. Spurgeon was another part of what got me thinking about this.

Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.