During the Civil War, a 13-year-old boy was a bugler for a band of soldiers. They found themselves in the midst of a bloody battle and it seemed that they would all die. In the midst of the fighting, the commander yelled, “Tell the bugler to sound the retreat!” Nothing happened. Then in a few moments the orderly reported, “The bugler said he doesn’t know how to sound the retreat.” I’m not interested in sounding the retreat. I am interested in sounding the charge. We are to be on the offensive. We are to attack. The only thing that limits what we can do is our faith.
Man needs some authority in his life. Without duly recognized authority, chaos would soon result in every realm of life. For example, there is in Washington, D.C., a Bureau of Standards to uphold the perfect measurement for every weight and measurement that we use in the United States. There is a perfect inch, a perfect pound, a perfect ounce, etc. They are the authority for all weights and measurements used in our country. Can you imagine the confusion that would exist in the world if we did not have such a standard? Inches and pounds would soon shrink or expand according to the wishes of the person doing the measuring. It would not be long until daily business could not be transacted.
By the same token, a standard is necessary in order to measure the time accurately. There is also in Washington, D.C., the Naval Observatory. Every day at 12 o’clock the observatory gives us the correct astronomical time. What if there were no accurate way to measure time? If everyone got their time from somebody else, pretty soon we would have no idea as to what the time really was.
As the compass is an authority for direction, the dictionary is an authority for spelling, the watch is an authority for time, and the calendar is an authority for dates, so the Bible is an authority for our spiritual lives. If you have any doubts as to what to believe or how to live, turn to it for the right answer.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).