Am Hasefer – People of the Book

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:42

My grandmother is a great, godly lady. For as long as I can remember, she has read the Bible once a year, the New Testament twice a year and the book of Proverbs once a month. Year after year, decade after decade, she has followed this disciplined practice. As a result of constantly bathing her mind in the Word, her daily conversation is filled with Scripture. She doesn’t make a show of it – she has simply so filled her spirit with Bible that when she opens her mouth, the Bible pops out.

Grandmother is one of the Am Hasefer – the People of the Book. I hope to be like her someday. I follow in her footsteps and also daily read the Word, hoping that at some point in my life, my mind will be so completely washed in the Word that only God’s words will come out when I speak.

It’s very hard. James warns, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (James 3:1-2)

Solomon agrees with James saying, “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19)

But apparently it is possible because Job, with all his sufferings and miserable friends, managed to control his tongue (Job 2:10). And Jesus specifically promised that the Holy Spirit would help us speak well when we are persecuted (Luke 21:15). That was not just a promise about some indefinable future because Stephen, the first martyr, was able to see its fulfillment in his life (Acts 6:10). And Paul says that all the apostles were also able to claim this promise in their lives (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

You may, like me, struggle with your tongue. You may be short-tempered and speak harsh words you later regret. Or, you may be too quick to make coarse jokes even though we are warned against doing so by Paul who said, “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.” (Ephesians 5:3-4).

The only thing that I have found that helps is to continuously wash my mind with the Scriptures (Ephesians 5:25). We need to have it on our minds when we get up, when we lay down and when we’re going about our daily business (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 1:8-9). Our only hope is to become Am Hasefer.