Our normal route to school was under construction for several weeks, which prompted me to take the backroads. In the back seat, my preschooler pointed out cows and combines while I enjoyed my front-row seat watching the harvest season and the beauty of fall. On each trip to and from town, a particular fall display caught my eye, particularly the scarecrow sitting next to the sign.
A scarecrow—once serving as an important piece of the agricultural landscape, now a cute decoration propped up in a fall display. Ancient farmers initially placed scarecrows in their fields to protect newly sown seeds or early crops from birds, particularly crows. They have been used by farmers throughout history and across the globe. Today, however, they are primarily used as fall decor, no longer efficient or effective in fields that span acres.
I sort of wonder if the same thing might happen in Christianity.
During certain times in our lives, we cling to God’s word. We read it, memorize it, talk about it. We join Bible studies and go to conferences.
But in other seasons, our use for the Bible can change. No longer do we use God’s word to protect our hearts and guide our decisions. Instead, we turn verses into cute signs found in a home decor store.
We hang them on our walls, but leave no room for them in our hearts.
The Bible becomes somewhat of a scarecrow, morphing from a central, imperative piece of our life into a novelty, propped up in our Christian life display.
However, unlike the seasonal, decorative scarecrow, God’s Word never outgrows its purpose or evolves into a new one. It is always “...useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must make a choice to use God’s Word in the way He intended it to be used.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with decorating your home with words of faith or verses from the Bible. I have a large sign hanging in my living room that reads: In a world where you can be anything, be like Jesus.
But hanging a sign on my wall isn’t enough.
In fact, I’ve become a little immune to the message that stares at me as I parent my children, scroll social media, speak with my husband, make plans on my calendar, and so much more. Because if I want to be like Jesus, I need to spend time with the Father. I need to spend time with my Bible, studying His Word and listening for His voice through it.
So I’m going to ask the Holy Spirit to renew my love and interest in God’s Word, that He would restore its purpose in my heart. That I would remember why God gave it to me—to shape me and guide me and fill me with the love and knowledge of Him.
Lord,
I’m sorry for neglecting your Word. I’m sorry for flippantly wearing it on a shirt or hanging it on my wall without respecting its true purpose. Renew my love for those words written for me. Give me a desire to read and study it more. Lord, use it to shape me and guide me. Open my heart to hear your voice through it. Thank you for the beautiful and priceless gift of having it at my fingertips every day. Help me understand what I read and live out what I learn so that my life brings Glory to you.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen