Many times we hear the Bible referred to with great reverence and awe. There are songs about it: "Back to the blessed old Bible," "wonderful words of Life," even, "There's a family bible on the table...." It is laid up in a place of honor in homes and churches. It is handled with great care and gentleness. Grubby little hands never touch it. The pages are turned carefully. The covers are never bent or folded. It is dusted respectfully once a week.

It is called the Holy Writ in tones of greatest respect amd veneration. When it is read from the pulpits of our land, the minister's voice takes on a deeper more majestic tone of soaring reverence as he enunciates each word of wisdom. The congregation sits in utter and complete silence receiving the precious golden words as they drop from the ministers lips.

Then they ("each and every one") go out and promptly forget what they have heard. "like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was."

We must remember that the Bible, as an object, has no holy value of itself. The pages are of wood pulp, linen or what ever other substances paper can be made from---Just like any other book. The covers are of leather, cardboard, vinyl. . . The writing is in plain ink with perhaps a touch of gold tone on the front---Just like any other book. Yet people treat it as though it were capable of great magic...and full of heart-stopping power. But they never open it to see what is inside.

The un-opened, un-read Bible is useless. It can just as well be tossed on a trash heap. Heaven will not split open and rain down lightning bolts. God does not wreck vengence on the individual who mistreats a Bible. See, it isn't the BOOK that is sacred. It is the neglected WORDS inside the book that are of ultimate value and power!

This book that we call the Bible only takes on value as we read what is inside and apply it to our lives. It is the application that is valuable, not the book, not the mere words, but the Application.