Holy Bible, Book Divine

John Burton, Sr., 1773–1822 Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. (Psalm 119:97) Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years. —Charles H. Spurgeon The Bible is truly an amazing book. It has rightfully been called “The Book of Books.” The first book ever printed was the Bible—the German Gütenberg Bible between the years 1450–1455. Today, it is printed in more than 600 languages, and portions of it are printed in more than 1,000 tongues and dialects. It has long been the world’s best seller. In addition to being God’s love letter and self-disclosure of Himself, the Bible clearly spells out His plan for our redemption and restored fellowship. It is also our final authority for all matters of faith, morals, and practice. Through the inspired Word, God the Holy Spirit illuminates and guides believers in their Christian walk and also prepares them for their future heavenly destination. Our finite minds will never be able to comprehend all of the teaching of Scripture, but the essential truths related to our redemption and Christ-like living cannot be misunderstood. It was Abraham Lincoln who once observed: “Read the Bible for whatever reason you can accept and take the rest on faith, and you will live and die a better man.” John Burton, author of “Holy Bible, Book Divine,” was an English Sunday school teacher with a concern for teaching spiritual truths to children. This text appeared in 1806 in Burton’s Sunday school hymnal, which was titled Incentives for Early Piety. These words have since been spiritually profitable for both young and old: Holy Bible, Book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine; mine to tell me whence I came, mine to teach me what I am; Mine to chide me when I rove, mine to show a Savior’s love; mine thou art to guide and guard, mine to punish or reward; Mine to comfort in distress—Suff’ring in this wilderness; mine to show, by living faith, man can triumph over death; Mine to tell of joys to come and the rebel sinner’s doom: O thou holy Book divine, precious treasure, thou art mine. For Today: Matthew 24:35; John 15:7; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; Hebrews 4:12 It was George Mueller who said: “The vigor of our spiritual life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Word in our life and thoughts.” Determine to give the Bible a greater place in your life. Sing this child-like hymn as you go— Osbeck, K. W. (1996). Amazing grace: 366 inspiring hymn stories for daily devotions (292). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.