There are many books mentioned in the Bible. Some are earthly books and some are found only in heaven.
The Book of the Covenant (Exodus 24:7)
The Book of the Wars of the Lord (Numbers 21:14)
The Book of the Law (Deuteronomy 28:61)
The Book of Jasher (Joshua 10:13)
The Book of the Acts of Solomon (1 Kings 11:41)
The Book of the Chronicles of the King’s of Israel (1 Kings 14:19)
The Book of the Chronicles of the King’s of Judah (1 Kings 14:29)
The Book of Moses (Nehemiah 13:1)
The Book of the Living or the Book of Life (Psalm 69:28)
In Malachi 3:16 (NLT), we read about a Book or Scroll of Remembrance:
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.
Do you realize that every time you speak about the Lord with someone else, the Lord listens! Not only that, but your name is written down in a Scroll of Remembrance. I like to call it the Captain’s log. On a ship at sea, the captain kept scrupulous notes about every event that happened on board, from the time the sun rose, to the speed of the wind, the temperature fluctuation, currents, ship sightings, fish sightings, etc. . . . All these minute details were written in the captain’s log so that if there was ever a question about anything that happened, the log was consulted.
The Scroll of Remembrance is like this log, except it records only the good things we say and do. But this got me to thinking. Is just my name listed, or is what I said recorded? Does my name get listed every time I speak about the Lord? What is the purpose of the book? Will God read from it on Judgment Day? I can’t wait to find out!
We are told in Scripture that our words hold great power. In fact, James declares that the tongue holds the power of life and death. We are also cautioned against complaining and gossip and slander. So often in the Bible we are told about the negative consequences of using our words poorly; but here, we see a fabulous reward for choosing the right words.
So, the next time you are talking about the Lord with your friends or classmates or coworkers or family, picture a mighty angel standing beside you, heavenly clipboard in hand, taking notes.
MaryLu Tyndall