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

      When I made a decision to follow Jesus, I determined that I would not become one of those 'Jesus freaks' I had encountered from time to time.  One day while my friend, Gladys, and I were having lunch at the mall, a young woman came into the restaurant and proclaimed loudly, "You all need to be saved !"  I said to Gladys, "Good grief!  She must be one of those Jesus freaks!"

      This and other encounters convinced me I had no need for such a conversion;  I thought I was saved.  Hence, when I began my personal relationship with Jesus, these scenes influenced my deciding I would be a low key Christian.

      I must say, that plan was short-lived.  The more I read the Bible, the more excited I became.  Early every morning and each night until 2:00am the next morning I would read the Bible.  I had an unquenchable thirst to know what God had to say.

      I remarked to Gladys, "I'm going to read every version of the Bible."   She said, "Do you realize there are twenty-six versions?  It will take years to read them all."

      "Well, maybe it isn't important for me to read all of them.  I've already read five versions.  I'd better revise my goal.  The Bible says we are to spread the gospel, the Good News about Jesus, to the whole world."

      Before long I was telling everyone I know about Jesus.  I had become one of those 'Jesus freaks'--  a real fanatic!  I didn't care.  Nothing could dampen my excitement about Jesus.

      Since I believed everyone needed to know what God's word says, I began giving away Bibles, and was soon labeled 'The Bible Lady.'  I was on a mission to tell the world the importance of the Bible.  All my energy was now directed toward serving the Lord.

      However, I did have one problem resulting from reading so many versions.  It left me without the ability to quote Scriptures exactly, from any version. At first this bothered me and I felt very inadequate, especially when I would hear someone quote Bible Scriptures word for word, right down to book, chapter, and verse.  I grieved over this and cried out to God, saying, "Oh god! How can You use me when I can't even quote Scriptures word for word?"

      As I sat agonizing about this the phone rang.  Marion, a young woman from our church, began telling me her problems, which were causing her a great deal of stress and she didn't know what to do.  Words of comfort from Scriptures came tumbling out of my mouth as if they had been retrieved from memory.

      Marion said, "Thank you, Lenore; that was exactly what I needed to hear.  I feel so much better because God has given you just the right words to say to me."

      After hanging up the phone, it dawned on me that God had shown me that I was not a 'wash out' after all; He could use me.  Many times in the years following I came to rely on God to speak through me, bringing hope and comfort to others.  It never seemed to matter that I did not have the Scriptures memorized word for word.

      The Bible resembles a road map to guide you through life.  If you are filled with the Word it will flow out like a stream of living water to quench a thirsty soul.