A Thought for the Week of July 29

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:6) The 18th century French philosopher Voltaire once wrote that "One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth." Voltaire was wrong, of course. He died almost 235 years ago, and the Bible is still very much with us, and very much a part of our world. Many people abuse it, and turn it into an excuse for violence and hatred, But I believe many more use it productively as a guide for how to live a life pleasing to God, and in productive service to those around us. I hear the more militant atheist movement today proclaiming something similar to Voltaire - denying Scripture as a meaningless collection of fables or decrying it as the source of many of the problems in our world. Many predict the end of religion. They'll prove to be wrong, too, of course. Both faith and the word of God are too powerful to either be overcome by those who don't believe in them or defeated by believers who abuse them. I find the Bible to be a source of inspiration, hope and challenge. Some will deny it, and some will abuse it, but I've found that if you give the Bible a chance to touch your life, it will never disappoint you. Have a great week!