The gift of a Bible
Recently, our good friend Reggie McNeal was here to meet with the Staff and the Board of Elders to dig deeper into our values. He also shared a message about God as a friend. He reminded us that God wants us to share our struggles and triumphs with him, even though he already knows everything about us. The best way to understand how much God loves us is to spend time reading the Bible.
Many people feel that really digging into their Bible is too daunting. They might try and read the Bible from beginning to end and give up a few books into the Old Testament. My introduction to the Bible was reading the Gospels over and over. In our Hello Hillspring class, an orientation on who we are, Pastor Bryan likes to ask the group about their first Bible. I love hearing the memories associated with receiving that first Bible. Every word in the Bible is there for a reason and is important, but the biggest takeaway should be how much God loves us.
One thing is clear: God wants us to have faith and grow closer to him, and one way we do this is through the Bible. As its truth takes root in our lives, it begins to change us from within, which is one reason God gave it to us. He also gave us His Word to guide us and show us how He wants us to live. When we claim the Bible is too difficult to understand, we are challenging God's character.
The Bible does not need to be a mystery. We need to apply ourselves and have faith. Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That verse underscores the fact that we trust God to fulfill his promises for the future (the unseen) based on what he has already fulfilled in the past.
God told Noah to build an ark because He was going to bring a massive flood. Noah took God at His word and built an ark.
God told Abraham to go to the place where he would receive an inheritance. Abraham took God at His word, left his familiar surroundings, and he went.
God indicated to Sarah, who was long past the age of childbearing, that she would conceive a son. She took God at His word.
All three of these people did what God asked of them because of their faith. Faith is believing in God and trusting in Him regardless of the circumstances or influences around us. Sometimes, we find this easy to do, but many times, life's dilemmas can cause our faith to weaken or fail, especially during times of sadness, loneliness, sickness, pain, depression, or fear.
When I read the Bible, whether I am happy or sad, my goal is to be with God. I am not necessarily memorizing, translating, or taking notes, but opening my heart for transformation. I just read, and God does the rest. I encourage you to make the Bible part of your daily life. Even if you only read a paragraph or two each day, you will still learn about God’s faithfulness and love for you.
After my mother passed away, a very special friend of hers who had never read the Bible asked me if he could have her Bible to help him deal with the pain and loneliness he was feeling after her death. He knew the Bible gave her comfort and he was desperate for the same. The comfort he received was not only by the stories of Christ’s love but also by reading the personal notes she had written after certain passages. Please don’t measure an inheritance by money alone. The gift of a Bible with personal notes of a loved one is invaluable.
Blessings,
Peggy Zumhofe
Executive Pastor
