God's Treasure

January 24, 2024

From Pastor Eileen States

The Bible is a book to be treasured. Do I believe this? Do I live my life as if I believe this? A group of people living in the 12th Century believed and lived this out in their very lives. When the leadership of the church at that time sought to take the Word of God away from the common people, this group of believers, called the Waldensians, committed to preserve it.  On penalty of death there was to be no one who personally owned a Bible, let alone study it for themselves! These Waldensians did not adhere to this command and continued to diligently teach the truths of the Bible to their children, committing large portions of it to memory. They also recognized how important it was to share these beautiful truths with others who were living in ignorance and fear. 

The church at that time had soldiers who were constantly on the lookout for anyone studying or sharing the Word of God. (Sounds crazy doesn’t it?) These soldiers were trained to arrest and bring to trial anyone who disobeyed this direct order. Praise God for fearless mothers and fathers who continued to train their young children to have courage and a desire to take up the difficult task of spreading God’s Word. The soldiers were not trained to watch for children in the spreading of the Bible so the family would take time to write out different portions of the Bible on small pieces of paper and sew them into their children’s clothing. They would then send their children down from the mountain into the surrounding villages in the valley. It was while mingling in the marketplace that these children would find willing hearts eager to hear the beauty of God’s Word. Many lost their lives during this time for sharing the Word of God one passage at a time. I stand in humility at how little I have treasured God’s Word in my own life. I am challenged by their testimony. 

This past Thursday my husband and I were gifted with an opportunity to fulfill a line item on my bucket list. Eric and I have been invited to go on a Reformation Tour this March. I have long desired to walk in the footsteps of the reformers like Wycliffe, Huss, Jerome and Luther and to see where the Waldensians, young and old, lived out their faith and commitment to preserving the Word of God at threat to their very lives. It is my prayer that Eric and I will come away from this trip with a greater appreciation for the power of God’s Word and how it has been preserved over the centuries. I pray that I will have a greater urgency to share the beautiful truths found within the scriptures with all I come in contact with.

Together in His service,

Pastor Eileen