“Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.” (Isaiah 41:15 KJV)

Did you receive a special present this past Christmas? I did.

First, I received a new electric toothbrush from my son. My daughter had shared that I was complaining that the toothbrush I was using stopped after less than two minutes. Now I have a new one that operates very efficiently for five minutes. It works in the morning and then again in the evening just as if it was NEW AGAIN. How long it will continue is unknown but it certainly is pleasant to have it working well.

The second was a reminder that you and I have received a gift called the Bible. I listened during the holiday season to Doctor David Jeremiah speaking in his annual visit to New York City. He quoted some amazing facts regarding the Bible – its distribution numbers far exceeding any other ‘book’ and its durability despite efforts by ‘enemies’ to destroy it.

Another amazing fact is that, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, every time you reread a familiar portion of Scripture, you learn something NEW AGAIN. I have often read from Isaiah 41. One of the first sermons I preached many decades ago, was based on chapter 41:15. I stressed the four points (1) new (2) sharp (3) threshing instrument and (4) having teeth. Yet as I reread the portion, I realized the significant importance of “I will make thee”. To me this familiar portion was NEW AGAIN.

A most important difference between the two gifts is their warranty or guarantee. My electric toothbrush is still performing each time as if it is NEW AGAIN. But the company has warned that it has a limited time for such performance. We chuckle when we see the funny advertisement for the ‘Energize bunny’ continuing to perform longer than other batteries. I’m sure that, as you read this, you can think of products or situationsthat will not perform as promised or hoped.

Contrast this fact with the guarantee stated in Isaiah 55: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11 KJV)

Now that’s a guarantee that you and I can really count on. Every time we read our guidebook (the Bible) under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; it becomes NEW AGAIN. Like me, you may falter by not reading the guidebook as regularly as you should. My new electric toothbrush will only perform as it is currently, if I continue to faithfully use it twice a day for five minutes each time. It certainly is true for our guidebook!bib

Prayer: Dear Father, We are so blessed by the Gifts You give us. Thanks especially for The Bible and the Holy Spirit guiding us as we strive to understand it as You make it NEW AGAIN every time we read it. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen

Vincent Walters
Toronto, Ontario, Canada