Hammer on Anvil '

Most of us have, at some point in our lives, been handed a document of some sort and told, “This is your Bible.” This happened to me recently when I purchased a copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations and my flight instructor told me that very thing. Obviously she didn’t mean that it is a literal Bible. Her point was that I should read it, study it, and learn it very well.

This saying is so common in American culture that it has become a cliché. But when my instructor said this, something occurred to me. We know what it means to treat something as our Bible, but how often do we treat THE Bible as our Bible? Oh sure, we all know somewhere deep down that we probably should, but our conviction stops there. We have our reasons. We’ll read it when things aren’t so hectic. We already know what it says (we think). And I have a personal theory that all of us have a subconscious fear of encountering the Word of God because we know that it will make us feel convicted and make us want to change. We’re afraid because we like being in control and reading the Bible is one step towards ceding control. But making THE Bible YOUR Bible is an essential part of a Christian’s walk with God.

Essential – Adjective. Absolutely necessary; indispensable.

Here’s what the Bible has to say about itself: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

I love the description of “living and active.” How often do we desperately want God to speak to us? Maybe we just need to make the time and effort to read what He is saying right now.

Also, in his “armor of God” metaphor, Paul describes the Word of God as “the sword of the spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). It is the Christian’s one and only offensive weapon. Without a sword, we are just standing in the midst of a battle allowing ourselves to be battered. I wouldn’t call that a useful soldier.

I’m not saying we all need to stop everything and read the Bible to the exclusion of doing anything else. But you’d be surprised how much God can speak when you read His Word just 15-30 minutes a day. Make the time. Make the effort. Get to know God.