The Bargain of a Lifetime

By Adam Faughn

 

    In 2018, a woman in Texas was shopping at a local Goodwill store and made a purchase. It was a statue that she knew was fairly old, but she was not sure exactly what she had until after some research. For $34.99, she made the purchase and immediately started taking pictures in the car to try to start the research.

    Now, four years later, that same statue is headed to a museum in Germany after being on display in a museum in San Antonio. Why? Because the bust was brought to the United States from Germany by a soldier following World War II. The statue goes back much further than that, however. It has been verified to be a 2000-year-old bust of a Roman commander. It is, quite simply, a priceless piece of history.

    To summarize, for basically $40 plus some sales tax, this woman had purchased something that would be nearly impossible to put a value on, as far as dollars and cents go.

    However, I would almost guarantee that you already own something that is of even higher value than what that woman found. In fact, I would guess that some of you have it where you can see it even as you read this article. And the item also goes back in time to around the same time as that statue found in Texas.

    Oh, the value as far as dollars and cents may not be the same as that statue. In fact, you can get what I am talking about for free online or just for a few dollars at many stores.

    It is, of course, a Bible. Completed about 2000 years ago, the message contained in that book is of more value than all the statues on earth combined because it is of eternal worth. It contains the very mind of God revealed to us. It contains everything that we need "for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). It is the message by which we will be judged (John 12:48; Revelation 20:12). It contains hope, patience, and comfort (Romans 15:4). It is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16) and guides us to being "equipped for every good work" (v.17). It is "a lamp to [our] feet and a light to [our] path" (Psalm 119:105).

    But here is what each of us has to ask ourselves: how will we treat this priceless treasure? For some, it is like that statue was to many people. It is something of interest, but not of any more interest than other things that might be in a store. It is nice to have, but they can take it or leave it.

    For those who truly understand what a treasure it is, though, the Bible is invaluable. It is studied and read. It is thought about constantly. It is seen for what it is: the Book that draws us closer to our heavenly Father. Do I see it as the treasure that is it?

Holy Bible, Book divine;

Precious treasure, thou art mine.

Lamp to my feet and a light to my way

to guide me safely home.

(William B. Bradbury, 1858)

- Adam Faughn preaches for the Central Church of Christ in Paducah KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.centralchurchofchrist.org Visit the Faughn Family blog, A Legacy of Faith.