“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5 NIV)

It is available in a multitude of colors: blue, black, red, green, and even purple; it can be found everywhere in the world, regardless of location, culture, religion and language; it provides entertainment for children and pets; it is ordinary and inexpensive; and it is a writer’s favorite tool (after the computer, of course!): THE PEN!!!

I have personally used a multitude of these, but until I met an unforgettable student in Haiti, I had never heard of one being magical . . .

I was spending the summer teaching seminary students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. One of my students had been absent for several days, and he had missed an important test. Now he stood in front of my desk asking for permission to make up the exam. It seemed like a reasonable request, and I spent a few minutes with him, going over the material to ensure he was ready. Somehow my pen ended up in his hands, and as he was going back to his desk to complete his exam, I asked if I could have it back.

“Oh, no Master!”

The earnest veneration in his voice left me puzzled: “Why not?” I queried.

He held it up in admiration before answering: “Master! It contains all the answer! “

“Contains the answers? What do you mean by ‘it contains all the answers’?”

“It’s the teacher’s pen,” he whispered reverently. “The teacher knows all the answers on the test, so the teacher’s pen contains all the answers! It’s a ‘magical’ pen!”

Such reasoning may cause us to chuckle, for we all know that a mere writing utensil cannot be looked to for answers. But aren’t we all guilty of looking in the wrong places for our answers? I certainly am, and the ” wrong” place I usually look to is none other than myself! As if I know all the answers, as if I’M magical! The only problem is, each time I do this, I find myself coming up empty! There ARE no answers in me!

The good news is, there IS a “magical pen”, one that we should ALL be using.

“What do you mean?” you may wonder.

The “magical pen” I am referring to wrote the sixty-six books contained in God’s Word, the Bible. This “magical pen” lovingly wrote out the answers to all of our problems thousands of years ago.

Take Matt 11:28-29 for example: “Come to me, all you who re weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” And then there’s “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV); and “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.” (Ps. 62:8 NIV).

Pretty powerful stuff, isn’t it? And when we choose to rely on the Lord and His Word, we never find ourselves coming up empty. Why rely on ourselves when we truly DO have a “magical pen”? Isn’t it time to trust this pen-our LORD JESUS CHRIST-in ALL things? The choice is ours.

May I please borrow your pen?

Rob Chaffart