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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

STEWARDSHIP OF GOD'S WORD

An heirloom is generally a possession that has intrinsic and/or sentimental value and is handed down from generation to generation. Sometimes an heirloom is a piece of furniture, jewelry, china, books, photographs or papers. Usually there is a story behind the item or at least a name of the original owner and who they were in the family tree.

I have become the protector of many of our family heirlooms, but it is my husband who has taken responsibility of the one of the most precious heirlooms of all time: God’s Word.

Our very most precious heirloom of course is Jesus. As believers, we have been adopted into God’s family. We have inherited salvation through our belief that Christ died for us. And by godly teaching and example of right living, by explaining our faith and testifying to it, we can pass that faith from generation to generation.

That heirloom is true and beyond value and although it can be felt and understood, it cannot be touched or held.

But God’s Word can be—in the form of the Bible.

That is where hubby comes in. In our safe, we have several versions of God’s Word. Some of the Bibles were printed before 1800; some after. Many have been enhanced with glorious illuminated script; others with minutely detailed black and white etchings.

Whenever hubby removes a Bible from the safe and shares it with a friend, he does so with reverence and care because, as he says, he does not own the Bible. The Bible belongs to God. He is merely its steward.

And so, the small collection of Bibles in our safe will probably be handed down from generation to generation within the Peterson family. But while we will maintain stewardship of them, they will always and forever belong to God.

As do we.

Praise God that our faith, our lives and everything we are belong to God. We are a living heirloom because we are part of His family.

PRAYER: Thank you Heavenly Father for everything in this world. Thank you for adopting us into your family and giving us salvation as our eternal heirloom. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Is faith an heirloom that has been passed down through your family?

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Today's post is part of the Christian Writer's Blog Chain. Our theme for November is "heirloom." Please click on the links to the right to see what my friends have to say about this theme.

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh,this is an awesome post. Thanks for sharing, Carol. I like how you speak of Believers being living heirlooms because we are part of God's family. Very nice. Blessings.

From Carols Quill said...

@ Stephanie - thanks so much - from one living heirloom to another.

Anonymous said...

I love how reverently and seriously your husband shares these precious Bibles, the Word of God itself! We don't often give it the respect it deserves!

From Carols Quill said...

@ Heather - I love how hubby does it, too. He's awesome!

chris said...

Pretty cool that you and the hubby protect God's word as it is one of the most valuable possessions! I enjoy sitting and looking through old Bibles, and seeing the words come alive through the different versions.

From Carols Quill said...

@ Chris - there's a reverence that comes through when you hold a Bible that's old to us yet we know that God's word is eternal.

Tracy Krauss said...

Wow! What an awesome collection! At first I thought you were speaking metaphorically but then when I realized these were real books I was intrigued.

Jack Brown said...

Brilliant heirloom post
Gods Word is Holy
biiiiiiig hug

From Carols Quill said...

@ Tracy - gives "seeking God's Word" a new twist, right?

@ Jack - thanks for the encouraging hug.

Bill Jones said...

Excellent post, Carol. That is a wonderful heirloom - what a great thing to do.

KeriMae said...

We have some old Bibles as well. It blesses me to ponder the love and reverence the previous owners showed them by reading and using them (not just keeping them new on a shelf). I love the idea of keeping those old treasures in a safe! What a reminder every time that safe was opened: there, not in anything else, is where our eternal security lies.

From Carols Quill said...

Thanks Bill and Keri Mae. Keri Mae, I too can't help but imagine the people who held those Bibles and whose lives were enriched because of them.

Deborah K. Anderson said...

Loved this post, Carol! :-) And I'd love to see those Bibles. Talk about heirlooms!

From Carols Quill said...

@ Deborah. Thank you - come on over. We'll dig the Bibles out and have a sensory treat.