An atheist’s bible

The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver. – Psalm 119:72

She was the best-known atheist in the United States, perhaps in all the world. Madalyn Murray O’Hair was profane and aggressive, devoting herself to attacking all religion, and especially Christianity. Then, in 1995 at age 76, she mysteriously disappeared. Was she the victim of foul play or had she gone into hiding? Before evidence eventually pointed to a former associate as the murderer, the Internal Revenue Service seized her personal belongings to pay delinquent taxes and personal debts.

Included in the IRS auction was a penny that had the words "In God We Trust" scratched out. That 1-cent piece sold for $10. Also included was a Bible, which sold for $2,000.

As mere paper and ink, that Bible was worth at the most only a few dollars. But as the Word of God, which communicates the truth of saving grace, that Book was priceless, as is any edition of God’s Word.

Do we, unlike those who deny God’s existence, put our trust in Him and His Word? Do we agree with the psalmist who wrote, "The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver"? (Psalm 119:72). If we do, let’s study Scripture, embrace its teachings, and obediently live out its truths.

– Vernon C. Grounds

Thinking It Over

If people observed you for a week,

would they be convinced that

you value the Bible?

Why or why not?

How can you show your love

for God’s Word?

READ: Psalm 119:65-72

The best commentary on the Bible is a person who puts it into practice.

The Bible in one year:

• Psalms 4-6

• Acts 17:16-34