Advent: Day Twelve

The ornament for today is a Bible (or some sets of ornaments might have a scroll). The scripture passage is from 2 Kings 22-23, when King Josiah and his men found the sacred copy of the book of the Law while rebuilding the temple. King Josiah had the book of the Law read to the people and a spiritual renewal took place. The people turned from their idols and began serving God. The devotion book points out that this was the last united religious act before God sent Judah into captivity (p. 52).

I personally can't imagine not having a Bible and don't think there has ever been a time in my life when I didn't have one in my home. The first Bible I remember owning was a Children's Living Bible, given to me by my parents, and I took it to Sunday School and church with me. I also received a Bible when I was baptized, and those two copies of the Word stayed in my possesion for a long time. I think we still have the Children's Living Bible at my house now (when I took a minute to look over on the shelf to find it, I saw another one of my first Bibles, one with a white cover that predated the other two). So, to think about the story of the uncovering of the old scroll and the reading of it to the people after so long without is mind-boggling. Something even more hard to imagine is that there are countless people in the world today who have never seen or owned a copy of God's Word.

Thank you, Lord, for your Word, and for making it accessible to so many people. I pray that all who would be introduced to it would come to understand how vital Your Word is to their lives.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." Psalm 119:105