One Saturday morning in early February, some friends and I planned to ride to the next county, where a local club was hosting its yearly anniversary party.

Winter weather in Greenwood, South Carolina, can be horribly fickle. During the same week, we can go from freezing temperatures to summer-like weather and then to a rare snowstorm. Thankfully, on this day, the weather was perfect for an afternoon ride.

Except for October through January, I try to wash my motorcycle at least monthly. During those months, however, we ride so much in bad weather and on muddy dirt roads that there is just no time to spend on the weekends cleaning my bike. To compensate for the lack of attention late in the year, I usually take time in February to have a friend detail my Harley.

On this particular Saturday, I walked out to my garage, pulled open the roll-up door, and stepped inside. There, sitting in the center of my shop, was my motorcycle and she was nastier than I had ever seen her. She was covered in road grime, mud, and bugs. Saying she was filthy is a horrible understatement.

Now, I pride myself on keeping my motorcycles well-maintained and looking good, but today, I was almost ashamed to ride my Street Glide. I sat down and pondered whether I should take a few minutes and attempt to give her a quick bath, or to just ride her like she was. Not an easy decision as I would most assuredly be late if I did not get a move on pretty soon. Reluctantly, I climbed on, fired the engine, and headed down the road.

As I rode toward our meeting place, I looked down at the grimy tank and remembered why she was so dirty. I had ridden her in a cold winter rain before parking her in the garage.

Then it hit me… How many places had she been since she last saw a bucket of suds and a rag?

Toy run… Before that another toy run… Before that yet another toy run…

The motorcycle was dirty because she was ridden while bringing joy to children, families, and people with special needs. Her dingy paint was the result of rolling down the road in a downpour while participating in a benefit for a struggling family.  She had been used to improving the lives of others, and because of that, she looked terrible.

Bub Lollis told me years ago, “Clean motorcycles aren’t ridden, and ridden motorcycles won’t stay clean!”

Something else made me think. Even though she was as dirty as I had ever seen her, she ran flawlessly. Her engine purred, the stereo loudly pumped out Lynyrd Skynyrd, and she was smooth as silk on the highway. Because she is regularly ridden and maintained, she is mechanically flawless.

I have a Bible that was given to me by a special lady back in 1994. When it came out of the box, it was beautiful! Hunter green leather, gold embossed name on the front, and gold leafed pages made it a sight to behold.

For the past 31 years, I have read and studied the Bible. Its pages are full of handwritten study notes and highlighter marks, the cover is worn and tattered, and some of the pages are wrinkled from my preaching to deploying soldiers in the rain. I have since been given or purchased much nicer ones, but the old green one is my favorite.

Just like my motorcycle is beyond filthy because she was used to doing what she does best, that bible is tattered because she had served me well as I grew in my faith and led others to Jesus. Just like under that dirt, my motorcycle runs like a charm, when I open that Bible, the words are as vibrant as the day I pulled it from the box.

There is another saying, “If your Bible is a mess, your life probably isn’t.”

A dusty Bible on a shelf not being used is a horrible waste. People have died trying to get that book in your hands, and it is too important to let sit and be ignored. It is God’s revelation to man and his instruction book for life.

In our world today, lives are in turmoil, marriages are failing, and children are raised without the benefit of faithful parents teaching them from God’s Word. We ignore sound biblical instructions and wonder why everything seems to come against us. We expect the church to teach our children while we run our self-centered lives and ignore God’s commands. We need to take our Bibles off the shelves and put them to use.

If your motorcycle is never ridden, it will sit, get rusty, and ruin. If your Bible is never opened, you will never experience God’s blessings on yourself and your family.

If you don’t have a Bible, get one. If you do have a Bible, open it and let it lead you. It is God’s revelation to man, and no other book can change your life in such a dramatic way.

Give it a try, you won’t regret it!

Hebrews 4:12 New International Version

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.