The Forgotten Book Pt I

Trivia Time! What book is found in 90% of American homes? In these homes, there is, on the average, six copies of this book. It is the most quoted from book and at the same time has quotes attributed to it that are not found in it. Some parts of this book have been translated into over 2,300 languages. This book was the first book printed on a movable type printing press. This book was very instrumental in the establishment of this nation and is the “rock in which our entire republic rests.” If you answered, “Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham!” you would be just a little incorrect. If you answered, “The Bible,” move to the front as you are correct.
President Andrew Jackson, upon hearing a person berate and bash the Bible said, “That book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests.” Monday we celebrate Presidents Day, a holiday created to celebrate the birthday of all the Presidents. February was picked by the Committee of Naming Holidays because the two most influential and possibly greatest Presidents were born in February: William Henry Harrison and Ronald Reagan. All right, many people do not agree with Ronald Reagan being one of the greatest Presidents. Naturally, this day was primarily set up because it falls between the births of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Both Presidents united a nation. Washington saw the formation and the uniting of various independent states into one sovereign nation. Lincoln saw the dividing of the nation only to fight to keep it as one nation united.
Both knew of the importance of the Bible in their daily lives. George Washington spent a couple hours a day in prayer and in Bible study. In one speech he noted, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” In his farewell address he stated, “And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” Where does one learn of religious principle? It comes from the Bible.
Abraham Lincoln quoted the Bible more than any other works of his time. He once remarked to Lucius Chittenden, “Now, let us treat the Bible fairly. If we had a witness on the stand whose general story we knew was true, we would believe him when he asserted facts of which we had no other evidence. We ought to treat the bible with equal fairness. I decided a long time ago that it was less difficult to believe that the Bible was what it claimed to be than to disbelieve it. It is a good book for us to obey – it contains the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, and many other rules which ought to be followed. No man was ever the worse for living according to the directions of the Bible.”
In Lincoln’s proclamation for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting said, “It is the duty of nations as well as men to recognize the truth announced in Holy Scripture and proven by all of history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” This in itself is a quote from the Bible, “How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Psalm 144:15 NASB)
The Bible was the most important book in the lives of these two men. Is it the most important book in your life or is it mostly a forgotten book.