The black leather is creased with wear. Years of opening and closing, being stuffed in bags and backpacks, rained on and sat on, have loosened the cover from the body of the book. Bits of tape and string hold the fragile pages together. Post-its and papers stick out at all angles with notes I don’t want to forget. Highlighted passages tell the story of a heart yearning for comfort and peace. When the book is closed, words glimmer faintly on the once shiny edges: The Way, The Truth, The Life.
This tattered Bible has been my way, my truth, and my life. Memory leads me to the places I’ve returned again and again. Some pages are filled with smudges, notes, and highlights; others are barely touched. I wonder what percentage of this Bible I have truly studied? Have I even begun to mine the treasures it holds? And what does it matter? Is it changing me? Does my study change how I interact with the people around me?
Does my study change how I interact with the people around me?
Recently, I’ve been quiet…meditating, considering how the events of the past year fit into the scheme of God’s great plan. How could the life and death of one man I hadn’t even heard of a few months ago shake our nation so deeply? Charlie Kirk rose as a voice unashamed of his faith, unafraid to speak truth, even if it offended. He believed Christ was the way to freedom, and that bedrock belief gave him strength. His faith spilled into every corner of his life, guiding his choices everyday.
I watched his memorial service with a million other people. Joy welled up in my heart as politicians proclaimed the name of Jesus. Tears streamed down my cheeks as his grieving wife forgave the man who killed her beloved. In those moments, I saw history being written out of a life devoted to living faith out loud.
Yet, so often I study the Bible in a vacuum. I get up, go to work, eat, sleep, attend church, and maybe take a vacation. Day follows day in comfortable routine. But, does my Bible study truly shape my life, my decisions, my conversations, my influence in the world? Does it even matter?
Not everyone will be heard above the crowd like Charlie Kirk, but each of us has a circle of influence. Our voice echoes in the hearts of those directly around us. The question is…what do they hear?
This week, I’ll begin the process of breaking in a new Bible. It feels unfamiliar, stiff, strange. The words of life are still there, but without my notes and cross-references, I feel unsteady. Honestly, I’m a little terrified. Those notes have become a crutch, an easy shortcut to knowledge without the hard work of waiting…listening…trusting the Spirit.
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New Bible |
Don’t get me wrong. I am a learner at heart. I love digging into the original language, context, and history. But sometimes my hunger for intelligence overtakes my hunger for God Himself. Ultimately, the Bible is about Him. More than hearing what other people say about Scripture, I want to hear what God says through His Word. I want Him to shape my actions. And, then, I want to obey. To live out the Truth every single day.
More than hearing what other people say about Scripture, I want to hear what God says through His Word.
This next season of reading will still include study, but it will begin with prayer: Spirit of Truth, guide me into all truth. Reveal Yourself to me through Your Word.
As that prayer echoes in my heart, I will read slowly, letting God’s Word sink into my mind and spirit. Gradually changing me.
Then, as I step into the day, my prayer will shift: Teach me to do good. To seek justice. To help the oppressed. Guide me to defend the weak and fight for the disadvantaged. Use me to transform my circle of influence because Your Word is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
- Take a look at your own Bible. What does its condition say about your relationship with God’s Word?
- Choose one verse from your daily reading and intentionally live it out in your circle of influence.
- Instead of diving straight into study, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher. How does this shift your perspective on the Word?