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“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.” —Martin Luther
I love to read. So I read a whole lot of books every year. It’s not unusual for me to be working my way through four or five books at a time. I read the classics, poetry, history, biographies, autobiographies, devotionals, leadership training, personal development, marriage and parenting skills, and many other genres. I don’t have enough shelf space for all of the books I have!
But when people ask me my all-time favorite book, I don’t even have to hesitate. The book that is in a category all by itself is my Bible.
I say my Bible because I have made it my own. I highlight, I underline, I star, I jot notes in the margin, I circle keywords. Sometimes I even mark all the question marks in a passage!
My study Bible is one I’ve had for over 20 years. Each time I read through my Bible I use a different color or style of highlighter. So as I look at different highlighted passages I can remember back to where I was in my life, what I was going through, the struggles I was having. Sometimes I smile when I remember what the Holy Spirit revealed to me in my Bible at that time, and how I’ve grown. Sometimes I remember the deep emotion as I see where a teardrop caused the highlighter to run, and recall the comfort my Bible brought to me.
Psalm 119 (the longest chapter in the Bible) is a poem of love to God for His Word. In 176 verses the psalmist refers to God’s Word in 172 verses. Here are just a few—
- I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You (v. 11)
- I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches (v. 14)
- Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law (v. 18)
- Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors (v. 24)
- I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free (v. 32)
If you haven’t made Bible reading a part of your daily schedule, Psalm 119 is a good place to start. Scientists tell us that you only have to do something for 21 days in a row for it to become a habit. Psalm 119 is divided into 22 sections. And each section is just eight verses long.
You can find the time to read just eight verses a day, can’t you? If you do, you will have established one of the greatest habits in your life: daily Bible reading.
I spent a whole week writing more about my favorite Book, so check out these posts too:
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Craig T. Owens 