Do you know why they closed the restaurant on the moon? It had no atmosphere.
What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field.
Those are just some of the many jokes I’ve received over the years that have never found their way into this column. Not that they’re bad.
Well, OK, they are bad.
But I can safely say there is no bad scripture. That’s because “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).”
The Bible is a truly amazing book. From cover to cover, it is the Word of God. It is “quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).” The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said God’s word is like a fire, like a hammer that breaks rocks into pieces.
While the Bible is an incredible resource, we know that many people never bother to open it, even in America’s heartland where just about everyone has a copy. I heard a preacher say once that if all the people who have Bibles on bookshelves were to open them at the same time, a dust storm beyond description would be triggered.
If that’s true, then it means the power of the scriptures isn’t being unleashed in our lives or the lives of our families and friends. That’s unfortunate, because God’s Word is a source of great strength and true joy.
A joke can bring smiles to our faces, but God’s Word brings smiles to our very souls.
Don’t get me wrong. I always enjoy when my readers send me jokes, like the one who told me the shovel was a groundbreaking invention.
Or the one from the fellow who told me graveyards are crowded because people are dying to get in.
Or the one from the lady who says when she asks her husband to put the dog out, he always says he didn’t know it was on fire.
Or the one from the fellow who said “the rotation of earth really makes my day.”
Or the one from the lady who said she had considered a diet of pecans, almonds and pistachios, but decided that’s just nuts.
So, you see, there are bad jokes. But, rest assured, there are no bad scriptures.
Roger Alford of Owenton, Kentucky, offers words of encouragement to residents of America’s heartland. Reach him at
rogeralford1@gmail.com.
