tohu va bohu

While I am still hoping to blog the marks of a healthy student ministry in the near future, here are a couple Luther quotes that reminded me about people with an appetite and ability to study God’s Word:

See to it that you fasten your attention on God’s Word and stay in it, like an infant in a cradle. If you let go for one moment, you have fallen away from the truth. The one intention of the devil is to get people away from the Word and to induce them to measure God’s will and works with their reason.

And that reminded me of another great Luther quote on sola Scripture I mentioned in my message on responding to the Reformation:

I study my Bible like I gather apples. I shake the whole tree first that the ripest might fall. Then I shake each limb and when I have shaken each limb I shake each branch. And then I shake every twig. And then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole, like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb, I study book after book. Then I shake every branch, I give attention to the chapters. Then I shake every twig or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and meanings. The Word is such a unique book. When I am tired, the Bible is my bed. Or in the dark the Bible is my light. When I am hungry, it is living bread, or fearful it is armor for the fight. When I am sick it is healing medicine, or lonely throngs of friends I find therein. If I would work the Bible is my tool. Or play, it is the harp of tuneful sound. If I am ignorant, it is my school. If I am sinking, it is solid ground. If I am cold, the Bible is my fire and it gives wings if boldly I aspire. Does gloom oppress? The Bible is a sun. Midst ugliness it is a garden fair. Am I athirst, how cool its waters run, or stifled what a vivifying air. Since thus thou givest of Thyself to me, how should I give myself, great Book, to thee.”