Dust Bunnies

I used to know a guy from the Czech Republic who went to my church. He wasn't a native English speaker, so a lot of American mannerisms and idioms didn't make sense to him. I forget how it came up, but I got to talking about dust bunnies with him, and he didn't know what they were. After I explained what dust bunnies were, he laughed. Knowing him, he probably used that same phrase the next day. He was a cool guy.

This post doesn't have anything to do with dust bunnies, though. I punched "Dust Bunnies" into the title field, and the story I just shared with y'all came to mind. It doesn't have anything to do with anything---I promise. Just a short little anecdote to make you smile. And if it didn't make you smile, well . . . you need to get your sense of humor checked out. Because I'm funny. Really---I am.

Or maybe I just think I am. Funny, I mean. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. My post does have something to do with dust, though. Not dust bunnies---just normal dust. There's a difference between dust and dust bunnies, and I can tell them apart. If you're like me and you clean your room once a year (or less), you're probably familiar with the difference between dust and dust bunnies as well.

Anyway, I was on my way up to my grandparents' house in Michigan and I saw a cool slogan on a church sign. The sign said, "Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives." The second I read it, I knew that I'd have to write a blog post about it.

That's where all the funny business about dust came from. I've got a reputation for being long-winded, so I just filled in the other dust stuff, well . . . for filler, I guess. And hopefully you got a chuckle or two out of it. If you didn't, you need to get your sense of humor checked out, because I'm funny . . . we've been over this once before already.

Gosh. People these days . . . 

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In case you were laughing too hard (which you should have been---because I'm funny, remember?) to catch the crux of the post, it's that dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives. It's short and it's catchy and it might even put a smile on your face, but it's also true. Absolutely, positively, 100% true. 

There's actually a story in 2 Kings 22 about a dusty Bible that caused dirty lives. You're welcome to follow the link and read the whole thing, but for the sake of space, I'll summarize. 

Under the rule of Manasseh, who was an evil king, Judah turned away from God and the temple fell into disrepair. When Josiah, who was a righteous king, came to power, he ordered that the temple be repaired.

While Josiah's men were fixing up the temple, they stumbled across the Book of the Law, which contained the Ten Commandments and other laws that God had given to His people. The Book of the Law was, for all intents and purposes, a dusty Bible. It had been lost in the temple for more than seventy years, and I'd imagine that it actually was dusty.

Anyway, when Josiah heard what the Book of the Law had to say, he was ashamed and upset, so much so that he tore his clothes in remorse. He realized just how sinful and wicked the nation of Judah had become. After seventy years without the Book of the Law, the people had completely forgotten the laws of the Lord. Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives. 

There are lots of Christians out there that don't understand the purpose of the Bible. Lots of people think that just having a Bible is enough. It's kind of like an insurance policy. As long as you've got one, you're covered. You don't need to use it or open it, much less read it.

If I've got a Bible somewhere in your house, an aura of biblical knowledge will mysteriously fill my house and Bible verses will magically diffuse into my brain, right? As crazy as it sounds, an awful lot of Christians seem to operate on this assumption.

The Bible isn't intended to be a big, impressive book that sits on your shelf and collects dust. It's not supposed to be a coaster for your coffee mug either. It's not a door stop. It's not a paper weight. It's not a presentation piece that you dust off every Sunday for church.

The Bible is the living, powerful Word of God (Hebrews 4:12). In Ephesians 6:17, we read that the Bible is also the sword of the Spirit, and Hebrews says that it's razor-sharp. The Bible contains the very words of God Himself, and it's an especially useful tool for the man of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

No soldier would be caught dead going into battle without his sword, because if he did, he would be dead. Why, then, do so many Christians try to fight spiritual battles without their swords? Why do so many believers try to get through life without reading their Bibles?

I'll be the first one to admit that at times, I don't read my Bible as much as I should. I think we're all guilty of that at one point or another. I also think that part of the reason so many Christians have trouble reading the Bible on a regular basis is because they don't fully understand its importance.

Back in the days when wars were fought with swords and dinosaurs roamed the earth, a sword was one of a soldier's most important tools. Without a sword, a soldier could only stand, watch, and hope that he didn't get killed. He couldn't fight his enemy. He was a sitting duck. 

In the same way, without a sword, a Christian is a sitting duck. Without the Word of God, we're going to an awfully tough time fighting off the devil and his temptations. Consider that even Jesus Himself used Scripture to resist Satan's schemes (Matthew 4:1-11).

In the book of Acts, Luke commends the Christians in Berea because they daily dug into the Word of God:

"As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Acts 17:10, 11 (NIV)

I've already admitted that I don't read my Bible enough, but come the New Year, that's going to change. I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, but I'm making one this year. And I'm putting it down in black and white. There's no taking it back now.

If you're looking for a New Year's resolution and you think you could do to read the Good Book a little bit more, I'd encourage you to comment on this post and say so. Breaking a commitment you make to yourself is one thing; breaking a commitment that you make in public is another. It's a lot harder to break a promise when you've got people to hold you accountable.

Even if you're not comfortable with making a commitment here on my blog, don't forget the importance of God's Word. Like the Bereans, make a point of getting into the Word every day. Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives, so whatever you do, don't let your Bible get dusty! 

A Christian without a Bible is like a soldier without a sword. Are you ready for battle?