And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Nehemiah 8:5 KJV
What a breathtaking scene this must have been, when Ezra stood and opened the Word of God, all 42,000 people present (7:66) spontaneously stood to their feet out of respect. This was more than a token gesture. Without cue they stood because it was in their heart to do so. While Ezra read they continued to stand for about six hours, and as they stood the tears streamed down their faces. What is it that would break the hardest of hearts, open the floodgates of their eyes, and cause them to stand while the Bible was open and read? Through their life struggles the Word of God had become precious to them. When was the last time you stood and cried because the Word of God was so precious to you?
Lord, I am ashamed that I have become so accustomed to having Your Word readily available that I often take it for granted. Help me always remember there is no other book like it, that it alone contains the words of eternal life, and should always be handled as my most precious possession.
