Why I Love The Bible
The Bible is the number one selling book in the world. It’s also the most stolen book. One time many years ago, when I was in college, someone broke into my car. They stole my watch, which wasn’t very expensive. They also stole my brand new King James Study Bible. I was really bummed about that. I hope whoever stole it read it and committed their life to Jesus.
Recently I was talking to a friend I’ve known most of my life. He is not a Christian. He is into philosophy, Buddhism, politics, and intellectual alternative views to Christianity. He likes to send me articles written by the people who champion his views. In our last conversation I said, “I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, ideas, and articles with me, but at the end of the day the Bible is my go-to book for all of life's answers.” He then proceeded to tell me that God gave me a brain to use and I should use it. I told him I’m well read in philosophy, world religions, psychology, and history. I don’t have a closed mind, but I’ve made up my mind.
The Bible is my sweet spot for answers to life.
My friend is well acquainted with the Bible and Christianity, but he rejects it because of a bad church experience he had growing up. I continue to pray that one day he will open his heart to the truth he rejects.
Here are some of the reasons I love the Bible.
The Bible is brutally honest about humanity’s story. If you’ve read the Bible, you know what I’m talking about. I wish our story wasn’t so ugly, but knowing our story convinces me that the world needs a savior—and I need a Savior.
The Bible can stand the test of time and scrutiny. The more people try to deny its truth, the more archaeologists and historians prove it’s true.
The Bible speaks to my soul. I’ve been deeply moved by other books, but not in the same way the Bible moves me. I’ve had people tell me, “The Bible was written by men, not God.” True, it was written by men, but all the writers of the Bible were directed by God and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible never gets old. One time when my son Stevie was about 8 years old, he said to me as I was reading the Bible, “Dad, why do you keep reading that book? Didn’t you already read it?” I said, “Stevie, this book is not like other books. This book is God’s gift to us to help guide us through life.”
The Bible is like coffee. Coffee is an acquired taste. When I first started drinking coffee in college, I didn’t like it that much. However, I liked that it woke me up and kicked my brain into high gear. In time, I started liking the taste of coffee. Today, I love the taste of coffee. And today, I love reading the Bible more than at any time in my life.
The Bible addresses all the main issues of life. This is not an exhaustive list. The Bible speaks to fear, relationships, marriage, being single, parenting, divorce, money, disappointment, grief, love, racism, depression, discouragement, worry, death, taxes, envy, sin, forgiveness, grace, and salvation.
The Bible tells me what God is like. Apart from the Bible, I would have no idea what God is like. In the New Testament, God the Son comes to us in the flesh, and we get to see what God is like living among us. He’s awesome!
The Bible tells a salvation story that is so simple a child can understand it, and yet so profound theologians are still trying to figure it out.
The Bible deals with the past, present, and future.
People have received salvation simply by reading the Bible.
The most common complaint I hear from Christians concerning the Bible is they don’t understand it or they find it boring. To those who don’t understand the Bible, I totally get it. It took me a while to understand the Bible, and even today there are some parts of the Bible I am still trying to wrap my head around.
If you are new to the Bible, I would recommend finding an easy-to-read translation like the NLT or the NIV Bible. I would also suggest starting with the New Testament. After you have read the New Testament, you should be ready to read the Old Testament.
I would highly recommend using the YouVersion App. The YouVersion App has some amazing Bible tools available to help understand Scripture. The Bible Project is another great way to understand the Bible, especially in the more complicated parts.
I hope with all my heart that you will learn to love the Bible.
Stay close to Jesus,
Steve