If you have ever broken your leg, you probably have had to use crutches to get around. A crutch is an aid. In its broadest sense it is anything that is depended upon for support. It can be something physical, as in the case of the wooden crutches used to help you walk when you break a leg or ankle. It can be chemical. Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are heavily relied upon by millions to help get them through the day. Finally, it can be psychological. Many people watch television so much that they are in a sense addicted to the tube. Studies have shown that people actually suffer withdrawal symptoms if they are away from their T.V. sets too long. And yes, many say that the Bible and God are a crutch people turn to in order to help them cope with their daily struggles.
What Do Others Have to Say About The Bible?
Ulysses S. Grant, our eighteenth president, considered the Bible to be a book needed to provide our nation with support when he said: “Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives.”1
Benjamin Franklin also understood how important a good support system is when he remarked, “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.”2
Helen Keller, although she spent almost her entire life deaf and without sight, became a symbol to the entire world of the unlimited potential the human spirit possesses to overcome personal trials and handicaps. To this incredible woman, being deaf and blind, only propelled her on to greatness. She was the author of nine books, graduated from Radcliffe College with honors, contributed $2 million to a foundation to help others and once remarked, “The Bible is one mighty representative of the whole spiritual life of humanity.”3
These people and countless millions of others have down through the centuries understood that in our world, where the struggle to survive is so ever present, the Bible has always been a sure rock on which they could depend. Wisdom, insights, soothing words, purpose and so much more have always been woven into the pages of this timeless book. Character building, integrity, honesty, loving and giving are all byproducts in the lives of the people who have chosen to use this book in their daily affairs. Far from being a crutch, the Bible has allowed people to live their lives without crutches, by instilling the highest standards of morality, conduct and responsibility deep within their hearts.
Abraham Lincoln, a man whose influence in American history is unsurpassed, recognized that the Bible is not something to be considered an optional resource. To Lincoln it was an essential navigator, guiding us through each and every trial we face as we journey through life. In referring to this navigator he said, “The best gift God has given man…But for it we could not know right from wrong.”4
In past devotions we have seen how many of our United States presidents, world-famous men of science, and other great names of the past have spoken about the importance and influence of this one book. A few more quotes from important people of the past should help us better comprehend just how wide the scope of the Bible really is.
Daniel Webster, a great U.S. political leader and orator of the nineteenth century, once said, “If we abide by the principles taught by the Bible, our country will go on prospering.”5
Timothy Dwight, a past President of Yale University, was keenly aware of the world around him. He once commented, “The Bible is a window in this prison world which we may look into eternity.”6
Heinrich Heine, an influential German poet of the eighteenth century, called the Bible, “The great medicine chest of humanity.”7
Horace Greely was a U.S. editor and political leader. In addition to popularizing the saying, “Go West young man, go West,” he understood how this idea was only possible in a land where real freedoms are protected. He also said: “It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom.”8
A final reflection from Samuel Morse, the inventor of telegraph, follows: “The nearer I approach to the end of my pilgrimage, the clearer is the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible, the grandeur and sublimity of God’s remedy for fallen man are more appreciated, and the future is illumined with hope and joy.”9
Is reading the Bible a sign that one can’t make it in this world alone? Clearly none of us can survive on our own without interpersonal contacts. Living in a vacuum or by ourselves on a deserted island has its way of shortening our lifespan drastically. Those who choose to consult with an unseen partner (and the Book that is all about Him) need not be ashamed or accused of leaning on a crutch. Rather, they have chosen a course where honesty, integrity, and the highest standards of excellence promise to be their traveling companions as they journey through life.
1 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
2 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
3 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
4 Religious Quotations by Abraham Lincoln (abrahamlincolnonline.org)
5 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
6 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
7 Webster’s New World Dictionary of Quotable Definitions, edited by Eugene E. Brussell, (New York: Webster’s New World, 1988), p. 48.
8 Dictionary of American Maxims, compiled by David Kin, (New York: Philosophical Library, Inc., 1955), p. 40.
9 Henry M. Morris, Men of Science: Men of God (El Cajon, California: Master Books, 1988), p. 47.