In our day and age, we have the distinct privilege of reading the works of some of the finest authors of all time. We work our way through the work of Edgar Allen Poe, and the hair on the back of our necks takes on a life of its own. We allow C.S. Lewis to pull us into a magical land of mystery and the battle against good and evil. We travel along with Frodo as J.R.R. Tolkien paints the picture of a dangerous quest where the hopes of the entire world rest on the shoulders of one young hobbit. And on and on the list goes. Writers who have such a way with words that they literally pull us into other worlds, leaving all reality behind. Yes, we are indeed blessed.

But when I think of the world's greatest writer, my mind goes beyond the books on my bookshelf. In fact, my mind goes beyond the limits of this Earth, for my favorite writer is truly out of this world. If there were an award for the greatest writer of all time, the award would go to God. The Bible alone would win Him this title, but His written works go beyond even that.

Words of Command

In Exodus 20, God gave Moses the rules by which He desired His people to live. Not only would these rules ensure order, but they would keep the people safe if they were obeyed. God did not take these rules lightly, so they were engraved on a stone tablet which symbolizes stability and longevity.

Words of Condemnation

In Daniel 5, God wrote on the wall in the midst of King Belshazzar's party. The message of warning was "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN." The meaning was as follows: MENE-God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL-Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting; PERES-Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. King Belshazzar was a wicked man and made some very bad choices. Through the writing on the wall, God was reminding everyone present (as well as all who would read it in the future) that sin will be dealt with.

Words of Compassion

In John 8, a group of men brought an adulterous woman to Jesus. They threw the woman before Jesus and questioned Him whether or not she should be stoned. "After all," they said, "Moses' law says that's what we should do." They were using God's own words to try to trick Jesus. How foolish! Without a word, Jesus stooped down and wrote something in the sand. The men continued to complain, so Jesus stood up and said, "Fine. Whichever of you is sinless may cast the first stone." Then He stooped down and wrote in the sand again. Silence filled the air. The only sound to be heard wass the woman's heavy breathing and the thud, thud, thud of rocks as the men dropped them to ground and walked away. The Bible doesn't tell us what Jesus wrote that day. It could have been the Ten Commandments. It could have been a list of the accusers' sins. It could have been anything. But I believe with all my heart, whatever the message was, compassion was the central theme.

Words of Conversion

Several places in the Bible, God speaks of a book of life. In fact, the Bible speaks of two different books. While the Bible isn't specific on the description of these two books, from comparing Scripture with Scripture, this is my take on it. One book was written before the foundation of the world, and it contains the name of every person ever to be born. When people ultimately reject Christ as their Savior, their names are blotted out of that book. The other book, I believe, is in a constant state of being written. Each time a soul is saved, that person's name is written in the book. In the end, the books will be identical. You may have your own opinion about the two books, and that's fine. What cannot be denied, however, is that both books are books detailing a conversion or a change. In essence, when we are saved, God writes our pardon, and we become new creatures.

So, you see, while there are many great authors to choose from, in the end, there is really no contest. God is the greatest writer of all time, and the best part is that His words are true and will remain true until the end of time. . . and beyond.