There is a saying that goes something like this ... “Find a bible that is falling apart, and you’ll find a person who isn’t.”
A friend of mine shared that at her family’s Christmas gathering, her elderly father read the last chapter of Revelation to conclude his reading of the Bible in one year. He had been through a difficult year marked by health concerns and a major move, yet his testimony was gentle and strong. He told his wife, children, grandchildren, and first great-grandchild that he was relying on the truths of God’s Word.
This story encouraged and inspired me.
I decided to take on the challenge of reading the Scriptures in a year. I’ve done it before, but it’s been a while since I’ve covered all the books in one year. (Leviticus can trip me up.) So far, I’m following a plan that’s a little of this and a little of that, but when I read a story, for example, Noah or Joseph, I read it in one or two sittings. I find it helps me grasp the bigger picture. It is exciting and perhaps easier to retain.
Psalm 19 is an amazing passage of Scripture that speaks about the manifold benefits of being in God’s Word. It is reviving and trustworthy. God’s Word gives wisdom and simplifies things. It gives us joy and light. It is pure, and it endures forever. His Word is perfect and more precious than any amount of gold and sweeter than the purest honey. God’s Word teaches, rebukes, and corrects, and when we obey God’s laws, there are eternal rewards.
“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”
I don’t know about you, but truthfully, if it wasn’t for my well-worn bible, I don’t know where I would be. When life has fallen apart, it is the truths from God’s Word that have held me together ... literally.
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).
“I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
A bible that is falling apart ... it is an irreplaceable treasure!
Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.