“A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education.”

In an earlier devotion I used the above quote from President Theodore Roosevelt1 to demonstrate that without a good knowledge of the Bible you cannot be considered a well-read, well-rounded individual. Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Robert Millikan, echoed the same sentiment when he aid: “I consider an intimate knowledge of the Bible an indispensable quality of a well-educated man.”2 Both of these men, like many others down through the centuries, realized that the Bible is an essential guide to true wisdom, morality, and hope for a world that is in desperate search of all three of these virtues.

Friends remember the Bible is not just another book of wisdom, inspiration, and hope – it is the absolute standard for all three of these necessary needs of all mankind. Books come and go, philosophies are in vogue one year and out the next, and trends are just that, but the Bible is unique because it is timeless and transcends cultures, races, and genders. Its teachings can be applied universally because the Bible knows what is in the heart of every man. Jesus’s parables apply to all people and all situations because God told them to not only simple fisherman but to well-educated Pharisees. And only the Bible has a message that can truly give us hope of a future beyond the grave through salvation and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.

Other religious books like the Koran and the Book of Mormon may have some wisdom and inspirational sayings but they can’t claim to be scientifically or historically accurate like the Bible can. They simply are full of errors in these disciplines and as such can’t claim divine authorship like the Bible. They are full of errors in both these areas (I will discuss these in future devotions) and, therefore, not reliable sources of truth. The hallmark of the Bible is that it claims to be an infallible book of truth and it can be subject to testing to its veracity – and it has been. The results – the Bible has clearly shown itself to be accurate in history, science, prophecy and every other area it touches on and addresses. No other so-called religious book can make this claim.

Benjamin Franklin also understood the necessity of the Bible in society when he stated: “A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district; all studied and appreciated as they merit; are the principal support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty.”3 The Bible is an essential companion for all who are looking to be successful and joyful in this life. Just as an auto mechanic knows everything about the inner working of a car, the Bible knows everything about the inner workings of the human heart because God made you and me and knows all about us. But not only that, only the Bible can offer us true hope for life after the grave.   We read in (Ecclesiastes 3:11): “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…” We are all wired to think about and ponder what lies ahead for us when we take our last breath. And, thankfully the Bible and Jesus Christ talk extensively about life after death. And only the Bible can offer those who may be suffering much in this life, a joyful homecoming after death, through knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior now in this present life.   From any angle and any perspective, we approach life, the Bible can supply you with all you need for a vibrant and purposeful life now and a fabulous eternal retirement plan in heaven. Why not put the Bible to the test, you just may find a beautiful life ahead of you.

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1 BrainyQuote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/theodore_roosevelt_147900

2 International Wall of Prayer: http://www.internationalwallofprayer.org/Q-01-FAMOUS-QUOTES.html

3 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.