I am Blessed to have my mother’s tattered Bible (small Bible in the middle), mother & dad’s family Bible (large black Bible on right) and what I believe to be my grandparents very old family Bible (brown Bible on the left).

As I turned the crumbly pages, I thought to myself, “Oh if they pages could speak of the comfort, the joy, the encouragement the peace that came from these Bibles during their lives.” I wish I knew all the stories of how they depended on God’s Word when they experienced two World Wars, the Great Depression, birth, life, sickness & death of loved ones, successes & failures of crops & businesses, and family difficulties. During their lifetime they also experienced the new luxuries of electricity, telephones, indoor plumbing, air conditioning, automobiles and many more “comforts” we take for granted today. Since 1892, when my great-grandpa, my grandpa & his brother came to this country from Denmark, much has changed…except God’s Word. It’s still the same Word of God it has always been.

• Ephians 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
• 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
• Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is alive 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.”

I love these old Bibles, but when I think about it, they are just temporary containers for God’s Living Word. I believe they were written so people could transfer the words from the pages into their heart. When this happens everything changes. God’s Word becomes the anchor in the storms of Life. But until a person experiences the infusion of God’s Word, it will remain just a book.

Durning a conversation about life and a Bible application with a friend, she replied, “I don’t worry about that stuff (personally knowing the Bible), that’s what the preacher does.” By using this life-strategy she is dependent on her preacher & his opinion not God’s Word. Looking back, I wish I had asked her why she felt this way. Did she believe only professionally trained scholars can understand God’s Word? Did she think it did not apply to her life? Was she too busy? Did she believe “the word of God is alive and active”?

Several years ago, following a Bible Study Fellowship lesson on Genesis, a friend, with tears in his eyes said, “Before we go, I have to say this. I’ve tried to read Genesis many times and have never finished it. But this time I see how much God loves us. I’ve never read the Bible like this…it’s no longer a book!” BAM! This is when everything changes. No longer are they words inked on paper…they became living Words in his heart.

You may ask, how does this happen? There is only one way. Jesus told us in John 16:13, “But when He, the (Holy) Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.” The Principle is this: If we will invite Him (the Holy Spirit) to “show us His Way, guide us in His Paths, teach us His Truths” (Ps 25:4,5) He will come to you in a very personal way and whisper to your heart. This is when we begin the process of personally knowing Him, not what you heard about Him. It’s when you personally know Him, whatever the situation, your default is to go to His Word. When you accept His Word as the Guidebook for Living, you search for answers in it rather than the opinions of people.

 The Holy Spirit is a Gentleman. He will not force Himself on you. He must be invited in…into your heart. I challenge you to the 30-20 Free Trial… For 30 days, set aside 20 minutes in a quiet place, with no distractions, and your Bible in your lap. Before you open it up ask the Holy Spirit to come and teach you…to whisper to your heart. Then follow the promptings of your heart. At the end of 30 days (November 15^th) I would love to hear your story. You can send it to me at (thedaysgoodnews@gmail.com). Don’t worry, I will not publish your name.

Only God can transform ink on paper into His Living Word. Isn’t it time to stop stumbling through life? “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me (Jesus) will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”