EVERY WORD MATTERS
Kim Peek was a savant (a person with extraordinary memory) who memorized
all of Shakespeare’s plays. During a performance of Twelfth Night, Peek
noticed that the actor had skipped a word from one of the lines. Peek suddenly
stood up and shouted, “Stop!” The actor apologized and said he didn’t think
anyone would mind. Peek replied, “Shakespeare would.”
Words matter. But especially when they are the very words of God. Moses
warned Israel, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take
from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God” (Deut. 4:2).
Moses often reminded Israel of God’s mercy and faithfulness to them in the
past. But he also stressed the importance of obedience to God’s commands as
they prepared to enter the Promised Land. He told them that obedience would
result in blessings of life and a rich inheritance (vv.39-40). Every command
and regulation mattered to God. The value His people placed on God’s Word
showed their view of Him.
Today, when we value God’s Word, handle it with great care, and obey
what it says, we give God the reverence He truly deserves.
God’s Word needs no additions or subtractions. (RBC)
