Out of Reach?
By Jim Huskins
McDowell County
One constant challenge for my small business is devising ways to store and access the staggering number of bits and pieces associated with crafting and repairing leather goods. Large sections of my shop walls are covered by racks holding buckles, snaps, rings, dees, conways, and more. Each item comes in many sizes, and we stock each size in both solid brass and stainless steel. Even the tools used in leatherwork come in a dizzying array of types and sizes. Components and supplies for shoe repair add another order of magnitude to our storage needs.
I cannot tolerate being unable to find a needed component. This frustration is compounded because my livelihood depends on maintaining a reasonable rate of production. Owning every item in the catalog is worthless if all those pieces are poorly stored and inaccessible.
My quest for better storage recently produced a shelving unit designed to hold thirty-two sturdy tubs. Each box is visible and clearly labeled. When I need “Sewing Supplies” or “Machine Parts” or “Leather Finishes” or “Size 207 Thread,” I can grab that item without delay. Ironically, I’ve had trouble completing the system because of a scarcity of appropriate tubs.
These shelves hold the smallest size of those ubiquitous black tubs with yellow lids. They are normal stock at our local “home center.” I bought four to test the system. The next day I bought the remaining four on display and was assured that they had a full pallet in stock. More would be available the next day. They were not. Nor the next day. Nor the next. Finally, I invested forty-five minutes in finding someone willing to locate the pallet, bring in a forklift, shut down that aisle, and set a bundle of ninety-six tubs on the floor. Lowes also has a storage problem. Sometimes the needed item is out of reach.
The need for accessibility applies to most areas of our lives. We who desire to love and follow Jesus must be able to access and use the vast resource that is the Bible. Our job is to teach others to know and follow everything Jesus commanded. He also says that man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. As believers, both our mission and our existence depend on intimate knowledge of God’s Word.
This can be a sobering realization for people raised on sound bites and passive entertainment. A recent study by YouGov.com found that 46% of Americans did not read a single book in 2023. Only about 15% of the population read more than one book. Bibles are found in 87% of American households, but a survey by Lifeway Research says that most respondents claim that they “do not have time” to read it. Jesus insists that we make time.
Only by reading the Bible can we discover if we have been told the truth. For example, the Bible does not teach that following Christ consists of merely showing up for Church meetings and donating money. Many believe that if they do those things, they can live anyway they choose. Those who read the Book are often shocked to discover that followers of Christ are commanded to conduct every aspect of our lives in “holiness.” That means being set apart for Godly work. Those who are “holy” do not follow the world’s standards of behavior.
The terms and conditions for “holiness” are explained in detail in the first five books of the Bible. This section is often called the “Law of Moses.” The Hebrew word is Torah, which means “instructions for living.” Most Christians are taught that those books “no longer apply.” Jesus says that the Law and the Prophets will be in undiminished effect for as long as heaven and earth remain. I am sometimes criticized by Christians who learn that I am attempting to live according to God’s instructions found in the first five books of the Bible. They tell me that it is “impossible to keep all that ‘Law’ stuff.” That opinion does not hold up to the light of Scripture.
Just before his death, as Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses delivered his farewell address. This extended summary of his teaching is preserved as The Book of Deuteronomy. In Chapter 30 he addresses the issue of whether God’s instructions for living are too difficult for His people to follow. Beginning in verse 11, he says that Torah “Is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” In Romans 10:5-8, Paul says the same thing.
The Bible teaches that followers of Messiah must be holy and that we are able to do so. Many Churches teach that “grace” makes holiness unnecessary and that we are not capable of following God’s instructions for living. Which perspective is more likely correct? In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” He is the one who gave us Torah through the mouth and pen of Moses. The Bible says that His commandments are forever—to all generations.
One of the most powerful lessons of Scripture is that we have full access to lives that honor God and imitate our Savior. We do not need a forklift or a rocket ship or an ocean vessel to acquire holiness. We only need to read the Book and obey its instruction. The details of a Godly life are within easy reach for anyone who owns a Bible and is willing to do what it says.
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Jim & Beverly Huskins are members of Obedient Heart Fellowship in McDowell County. Beginning July 2, 2022 Obedient Heart Fellowship will meet at 10:00 Each Sabbath (Seventh Day) at 3023 US 221 N. Marion, NC. 10:00 A.M. Call 828-460-7913 for info.
You can read more good Christian news from Jim HERE.
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