Archives

In my last blog (“Hugs”) I dove into the archives of our family’s recordings. A song was featured from our first recording back in the late 60s. I’m so grateful for my friend, Scott, who has preserved all of our old recordings on my website. Now my family doesn’t have to comb through boxes in the attic or the closet to find the old records, 8-tracks, and cassettes. They’re all together in one place. There are 13 recordings covering a span of 40 years. If you haven’t checked them out, you might enjoy listening to some of them.

Do you have archives of things you want to preserve or pass on to the next generation? It’s hard to prioritize what is valuable and what should be discarded, isn’t it? I’m glad I’ve saved some of my grandchildren’s letters and artwork. I have my father’s letters to my mother while he was in the army during WWII. That includes messages from a prison camp where he was interred. And I have a beautiful poem, a handmade scrapbook, and some hooked rugs – artistic works from my grandmother.

I think that the whole Bible is an archive of ancient words from God Himself, written down by about 40 different writers over a period of 1500 years. The old manuscripts have been preserved, copied, printed, translated, and made available to us and to people of the whole world. That’s due to the plan and power of God. People have tried to destroy it, but that’s impossible. “The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8 & I Peter 1:24-25). 

So we have the ancient archives preserved in modern day English, as well as thousands of other languages. How fortunate we are! Do you count your Bible as a treasure? A valuable guide, support, and teacher? Here are some excerpts from Psalm 119. Can you say these heartfelt words along with the Psalmist?

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (vs. 11). “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (vs. 15-16). “My soul melts from heaviness; strengthen me according to Your word” (vs. 28). “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life” (vs. 50). “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (vs. 105). “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” (vs. 114).

Will you take time today to listen to the word of God? Is there anything more important?

“Listen to the Word of God” from the album “Listen.”