The Pledge to the Bible is an integral part of one’s commitment to Christian living.
Let us see how this pledge can enrich your Christian life, too.
The Bible is one of the most essential books of the Christian life.
And you can commit to living by the Holy Word to fulfill God’s Will.
This is where the Pledge of the Bible comes in.
Coming from a Christian family, my parents would always emphasize the importance of having a deep connection with Christ and his preachings.
Apart from attending church services and practicing good values, another way to understand clearly and completely the essence of allowing our relationship with the Lord to grow is through reading the Bible.
However, at a young age, with only starting to make sense of my environment, it was a bit of a struggle to understand fully what the words in the Bible meant.
Get inspired to show your commitment to the Word of God and His role as the center of your life by understanding the Pledge to the Bible.
What is the Pledge to the Bible?
I pledge allegiance to the Bible,
God’s holy word,
I will make it a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
And will hide its words in my heart
That I might not sin against God.
These words might be hard for children to understand fully, but with the guidance of adults and clergy, they can be understood both in the mind and heart.
We must never forget that we cannot expect our children to fully grasp automatically what the Bible means.
Hence, we always begin slowly, similar to how we teach them to properly hold a pencil for the first time.
We need to orient them in what it means to pledge and keep that pledge.
The word pledge is synonymous with the word promise.
When you pledge, you promise something and assure the other person of anything that you both have agreed on.
With that definition, let us delve into the deeper meaning of a pledge.
Meaning of Pledge
A pledge is like a promise.
It also means committing oneself to any undertaking.
When one pledges, one has to be loyal, faithful even.
Hence, pledging oneself to an undertaking should not be taken for granted.
It holds a gravity of essence and meaning.
Pledging is not the same thing as an oath.
With that, asking your children to pledge to the Bible only does not revolve around reading the Bible all the time.
It seeks to inform that once the child pledges to the Bible, active participation shall take place.
Meaning to become an active participant not just through words but also through actions.
As you teach your children the Pledge to the Bible, you need to guide them by setting an example of righteousness.
Doing this can surely make a difference in their lives.
Meaning of Allegiance
Remember when I mentioned loyalty and faithfulness?
Well, it is given that when someone pledges to commit to something, allegiance comes afterward.
But not just allegiance about giving support and backing up.
In the context of the Bible, pledging to it means serving our allegiance, devotion, and faithfulness toward the teachings of the Bible and its authority.
When children understand this, they will honor and respect teachings such as the Bible’s teachings or the Ten Commandments.
When a child understands that lying is wrong, he or she will be able to inherit the influence of the Bible.
He or she will live with the faith that whatever happens, it’s the Lord’s will that shall be done.
Who Wrote the Pledge to the Bible?
It is interesting to know that the Pledge to the Bible originated with the Southern Baptist Church.
In 1924, a young pastor named Homer Grice was asked to lead the Southern Baptists in the Vacation Bible movement.
He took Psalm 119:105 and 11 verses and connected them.
He created a pledge to the Bible, which was then introduced in 1925 to Vacation Bible Schools.
We often think that we cannot make a difference in this world if we are not professionals or someone in the higher ranks.
On the contrary, people like Pastor Homer Grice changed the lives of Christianity.
He even allowed people to have a deeper connection with the Lord through the Bible.
Because reading the Bible is not just for reading.
It’s a transformation.
The pledge to the Bible was not only written by a man.
God Himself authored the Pledge by guiding Grice into the creation of a life-changing spiritual piece.
What is the Significance of the Pledge to the Bible?
Giving an oath, a vow, or a pledge – all are significant and respected.
Once done, they bear tremendous meaning, especially pledges and vows in God’s name. We must keep them dearly.
The Pledge to the Bible is not merely about pledging for the sake of doing it just because everyone is.
When you pledge to the Bible, it means you allow yourself to connect with the Lord.
You support His teachings, manifest them, and extend them to other people.
We pledge to the Bible because it is where we will discover what God desires for us to do.
His words cannot and will not affect our lives with only just reading.
Hence, the Pledge to the Bible is more than that.
It seeks to tell us that the teachings shall be meditated, manifested, and proclaimed to others.
We can never be so sure that we can keep our pledge unscathed.
However, what we can do is to learn from our mistakes and avoid doing them again. (1 John 2:1)
Understanding the Pledge to the Bible
It is also important that we break into pieces the meaning of each line:
I pledge allegiance to the Bible
Once again, allegiance does not only revolve around support.
It goes to assure that the teachings that we read in the Bible shall be manifested and shared with others.
We pledge to the Bible to understand and discover God’s desires.
Moreover, we pledge our allegiance to help share and proclaim the words of God to the world.
And make others realize God’s desires for humanity.
We pledge to do things with the utmost respect to God.
God’s holy word
God’s holy word is unique, unlike any other, not ordinary.
God’s holy words are what separates human words from His.
It has a specific purpose.
A purpose which reveals thousands of meanings that can change our lives.
His words are powerful, with great abundance, and with so much love.
I will make it a lamp unto my feet.
The Bible will serve as a guide.
Whenever we take steps to do something, we are reminded of His holy words and manifest righteousness.
As children grow older, they tend to make impulsive decisions and often rush into things.
But because of the Pledge to the Bible, His words are planted like seeds.
They shall be the light to guide and remind them of the moral things to do.
And will hide its words in my heart.
Whenever we are in danger, we always seek a weapon to defend ourselves.
And God’s holy words will always protect us from temptations and sin.
Hiding His words in our hearts will protect us from all evil doings which may come our way.
Hence, it tells us that God’s words should not only be memorized by the mind but also be understood by the heart.
Living with the word of God and putting it in our hearts can make us better people.
That I might not sin against God
Remember when Jesus was tempted by the devil before and proclaiming God’s words, the devil disappeared?
God’s words can keep us away from sinning amidst the temptations surrounding us.
Jesus used God’s Word in all of the three temptations seen in Matthew‘s Gospel.
The more we’ve got God’s Word in our hearts and lives, the more power and ammunition we’ve got to battle temptation and sin.
What Does the Bible Say About Pledges
This simple pledge reflects the importance of God’s Word and its role in the life of humans.
This is often a preferred pledge in church VBS programs.
It’s typically recited along with the Christian and the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.
In Matthew 5:33-37, pledging or giving an oath done in His name shall be embraced through our heads and hearts.
Pledging towards the word of God and His desires should be done wholeheartedly and not simply by replying to the words ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.
The Bible itself already tells us that a pledge to God’s word and His teachings will secure us from all these dangers that we may encounter, for we are protected by God.
And if we ignore our pledge, we ignore God in the process.
What Can We Learn From the Pledge to the Bible
Pledging to the Bible is not simply uttering words and offering a promise.
It signifies offering our devotion, time, and faith in God.
It protects us from the devil and brings us closer to God.
Knowing His words is not just understanding what they mean but also manifesting it in ourselves.
This is necessary for Christians to understand because once they understand what it means to connect with God, they can manifest righteousness and follow God’s steps toward goodness.
Pledge to the Bible, indeed, is more than just the words uttered because the words themselves bear great meaning that is important to impart.
We can learn values, acceptance, and even trust.
Committing to His Word can save us from sin.
How Can We Pledge Our Allegiance to the Bible
Here are the ways we can keep the Pledge to the Bible:
- Understand what the pledge to the Bible means
It is highly important that we understand and know what we are pledging for.
Pledging is not only in the mind but also in the heart.
- Remove all what-ifs
Despite our worries, once we pledge to the Bible, we must be at peace and remove all concerns from our minds.
God will always welcome us into His embrace, so our worries will all fade.
- Accept His Word
Most importantly, acceptance within ourselves is what will help us pledge the Bible wholeheartedly and not only read but also manifest what we read.
- It can be done alone or in front of a pastor.
God above is already witnessing our pledge, but for young children, guidance from the pastor or any elders is encouraged to motivate them further to stay true to their pledge.
Final Thoughts
If you do the Pledge to the Bible, you should be prepared to commit your life toward God’s Will.
Making a promise towards someone and then breaking it is already painful.
No amount of excuses can automatically exempt us from the person’s anger.
It’s not just the promise itself, whatever it was, which was broken.
But also, trust is broken.
The same goes for anything we pledge to make in the name of God.
As much as it’s easy to break an oath or a promise in a snap with just a single word or more, restoring trust and forgiveness can be difficult to achieve.
God considers our oath to be sacred and true.
Hence, we are held accountable once we break it.
Furthermore, this tells us that before pledging ourselves to the Bible, to other people, and especially to God, we have to ensure that we will not break the trust given.
We have to discern and understand the gravity of our oaths.
Hence, we must repent once we fail to perform our duties about the oath and pledge we took.
In doing so, we manifest truth and honesty towards God.
