I've owned four Bibles. Each of my four Bibles has helped me to explore invaluable truth, uncover uncharted territory, and guide me into the heart of God as I've navigated His unfolding will for my life.

The first is a paraphrase that guided me through. my early years after I gave my heart to Jesus. It was a version that I could understand in my everyday language. It answered my many questions and spoke life into my eager heart.

My second Bible was given to me by my husband during our dating days and carried me through three years of life as a new pastor's wife and young mom. 

I got my third when we began ministry at our second church, providing a clean slate for a fresh start. Since that ended up being a difficult period in life and ministry, it was severely marked up, battered, and bruised—much like my state at the time. 

I eventually purchases my fourth when I recognized that it was not only time to turn a new page in my life, it was also time for a Bible with larger print!

THE ROAD MAP FOR LIFE 

If you opened any of my four Bibles, you’d find the road map to my life. Events, dates, places, and even some names are noted throughout. Multi-colored highlights mark up the pages. You’d see underlines, squiggly lines, stars, hearts, and smiley faces—even the odd sermon outline.

You’re bound to come across simple artwork that includes stick mountain ranges indicating Jesus heading for the hills to spend time alone with His Father. I made sketches of lips prompting me to watch my mouth, and I drew hearts reminding me both of God’s rich love toward me and the importance of guarding my heart: “...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

My children’s handiwork is scribbled here and there when they got their little hands on my Bible. The odd goopy fingerprint reminds me of my primary ministry: them. Wrinkles mark where tear stains became markers of God’s probing into the inner recesses of my heart. Pages naturally open to promises I need to continually claim. Pennies are pasted to remind me of God’s faithful provision. There’s a copy of the Bridge to Life taped on the inside cover of one of them—handy for sharing the Good News with others—along with meaningful cards from prayerful friends.

All four Bibles contain significant verses that I’ve claimed at significant times: as my children were born, as I’ve entered a new season of my life, during ministry transitions, and while facing personal challenges. They trace my spiritual journey over the last four decades of my life as a broken vessel of the Living God who continues to use my life to serve Him.

GOD'S WORD WOVEN AROUND YOUR SOUL 

There is one common thread: Scripture’s truth, promises, and insights have woven themselves around my soul. Words and principles have been bound around my mind, stitching the Word deeply into my innermost being, as I’ve applied it to my life in every season.

I didn’t read my first Bible until a year after I invited Jesus to be my Savior. Wrestling with the validity of my newfound faith led me to doubt God’s existence. After I shared my struggle with a godly friend, she advised me to read through the Psalms. I couldn’t believe it. How did the psalmist know what I was going through?

I tore through the pages, soaking up every fiber of truth, highlighting verses that related to my life. I found validation for some of my raw emotions, as I saw it expressed in someone else’s words—that were somehow my own. I wept with the psalmist in his pains and hoped to find the hope he had as he poured out his heart so honestly. How easily and naturally he spoke to the Lord, expressing sadness, anger, disillusionment, and all the while, a deep sense of peace. I used his example as I poured out my heart to the Lord.

I marked the same passages in another Bible during a time of ministry challenge, and yet another during significant loss—validating, inviting, assuring, inspiring, chastising, and instilling peace, joy, life, and hope into my weary and broken soul. The words spoke into my heart of hearts with groaning I couldn’t put into words of my own (Rom. 8:19-27).

I can’t say that God’s Word has left a deep impression on my heart every single time I’ve opened it. I’ve learned that’s okay and still important. It’s good enough to eat food even if I’m not hungry and exercise my body even if I don’t feel like it (1 Pet. 2:2). I’ve not always been enlightened when I read through endless genealogy lists in Numbers and Matthew, the policies and procedures for the care of the Temple in Leviticus, or the measurements of Noah’s ark in Genesis, but through the years I’ve learned to appreciate the reason that those kinds of details have been included. Meaningless at first glance, they show God’s attention to detail and have shown me that if He’s concerned about those minute details, He is much more concerned with the details of my life. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they” (Matt. 6:26, see also Jer. 1:5; Ps. 139:1; Is. 43:1)?

HIS WILL, WISDOM, AND WARNINGS 

Each of my four Bibles has helped me to explore truth and guide me into the heart of God and His will for my life over four decades of pastoral ministry. Time and time again, His Word has refreshed my soul and given me wisdom, warnings, and joy to my heart. His Word has been “...more precious than gold, than much pure gold; sweeter than honey, than honey from the honey-comb” (Ps. 19:7-11).

LET IT READ YOU 

Scripture has impacted my life most when I’ve been open to receive it, absorb it, and apply it to my life. What’s the point of simply reading it if we can’t fully experience it. But more than that: let it read you. Give it time to absorb you. Engage in it in such a way that it activates you.

And finally, free it up to apply to you: your season of life, day-to-day living, relationships, circumstances, and so much more. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thor- oughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Bible Verse: Psalm 119:105

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

Prayer:

Father, thank You for the countless ways Your Word has guided me through every season of life. Help me to approach Scripture with an open heart, ready to receive and apply Your truth. Amen.

Reflection:

How has Scripture shaped my life, and what specific verses have guided me through challenging times?