In the western world it is easy to find a Bible. Many people have a Bible somewhere on their book shelf at home, book stores offer the Bible in several different versions and it can also be read online in many different languages. The Gideon organization have worked tirelessly to place a Bible in in every hotel room.
Sadly this is not true in some areas of the world – Bibles are hard to come by and to own one might mean imprisonment and even death.
Familiarity with the Bible can cause us to forget its unique value. The Bible is not just another book to collect dust on the shelf. We forget its importance. One of the first books to come off the printing press when it was invented was the Bible. And it’s still the world’s best-selling book!
An anonymous author wrote:
‘It contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the fate of sinners, and the happiness of believers. It is a light to direct you, food to nourish you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveller’s road map, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s weapon, and the player’s game plan. It’s a mine of incredible wealth, and a river of genuine joy. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Christ is its grand subject, your good its design, and the glory of God its end. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be spiritually healthy. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. Let it fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide your steps. It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered for ever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and judge those who trifle with its sacred contents.’
The Bible is ‘The word of our God which shall stand forever…’ (1Peter 1:25).
Most of us respect the Bible, but do we read it daily and put it into practice? After hearing a discussion on various translations of the Bible, one man said: ‘I prefer my mother’s translation, because she translated it into everyday life.’
Are you doing that?