Have you ever noticed that two people can look at the same thing and see two different things? Some people see the good in most things, and some see evil. Some people see beauty, while others see confusion. Some people listen to a message from a preacher, and come to two separate and different conclusions. Reading the Bible can be done the same way. Two people can read the same passage, and come up with very different conclusions. There is one thing I am sure about; God designed the Bible for our benefit, and for a tool to be used by us to become more like His Son.
That being the case, I believe there is value in the Scriptures for me. Today I read, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18). Before I opened my Bible this morning to read the chapters that I am scheduled to read, I asked the Lord to take His Word, and to direct my steps through the things I would read. I then asked God to soften my heart to be able to receive the truths that I would read, and then apply them to my life. I don’t want my Bible reading time to become an academic exercise. I don’t want this time to become mundane, or trite, or common-place.
Whenever I open my Bible – at my kitchen table – in my office – in a Bible study class – in church – I want to open my heart as well. I want God to take His Word and apply it to the needs of my heart. May I challenge you to memorize this verse, and to whisper it as a prayer to God, every time you are about to open your Bible? How different would our personal lives be before God if we would seriously take the time to do this each time? I believe there is power in the Word of God. I believe God breathed each of the words in our Bible with purpose behind them. I don’t believe God wasted one word in the Bible.
Knowing that He took such care to give us a book like this, I should give my full effort in the times that I read it to “behold wondrous things out of thy law.” I find that every day of my life, I am bombarded with false information, or information that is attempting to trick me, or lead me into some scheme. I need the protection of the words in the Bible to help me to see truth as truth, and deception as a lie. I’m not very smart, but I have a God Who is all wise and gave me this book as a guide for my path and light for the steps I am about to take. I want to handle this book with the care it deserves. I want to open my eyes and my heart when I open my Bible. I want to feast on the truths that are held in the Bible so much that they will change my behavior, and my life! Handle your Bible with care today.