Once I heard someone shared this..A pastor told the congregation to lift up their bible on their right hand, and next their left hand.Why?To dust off the dirt on their bibles.Ahahaa...well,it may sound funny but my dusty bible was one of the victim of this joke.Sheesh!
Remember a few months back,I had given up trying to read the bible when several unsuccessful attempts brought discouragement and frustration.I found the writing so foreign I could not understand it at all. Many encouraged me to read small chapters and the new testaments first..I tried but still i dozed off after a few sentences.Ah...tough!!
All the happenings in the bible seemed so ancient and old.How can those incidents ever help me in my reflections?I pondered.Amazingly,God knows me best.He started to give me voices of bible verses in my prayers.And with faith,i opened up my bible to read some chapters I never thought i will read.Soon,the realization of God speaking to me through the bible became so real.Instead of waiting for God to give me a verse,I took the initiative to read chapters for sunday mass,verses from books and bookmarks to even verses i see online.
So I began to read semi-faithfully each day(from the bible itself to online sites for easy access),I noticed distinct and undeniable benefits.To me, reading the bible at night is especially helpful.The mind disgests the events and thoughts of the day,particularly the last things we think about before going to sleep.That way,i get to sleep thinking about the things i just read and through meditation,I wake up with a positive outlook in the morning!
Gradually the bible became God's voice in my ear.When I heard certain old,familiar words in my mind,such as You're worthless.You'll never amount to anything.Why try?I also heard the words of God saying,You are fearfully and wonderfully made.I will lift you up from the gates of death.You will be blessed if you put your trust in Me.(Ps 139:14,Ps 9.13,Ps 2.12)
The more I read,the more I saw that God's laws were good.They were for my benefits and I could trust them.Conscience is not an adequate indicator of right and wrong.But in the light of God's words,i could see what is the truth.Such guidelines,rather than restricting,were actually liberating to me. Even though His word does not specifically say this is right or this is wrong,my spirit became so aligned with His that I could sense what was correct thought and action.
Once a while, I will have a nagging thought.I cannot afford the time it takes to read the bible every day. And I happened to hear this somewhere.Good relationships,good health,being good at what you do-they all require some sacrifice,some discipline,some discomfort,and even som pain.Emotional health is the same.Reading God's Word must become a daily discipline because we need a solid grasp of the way God intends us to love. The bible says, "Man shall not live by bread alone,but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4)
Regular feeding on God's Word satisfies the hunger of my soul and keeps me from emotional depletion and spiritual starvation.One thing i learnt is..it does not instantly heal the wounds in my heart but rather it creates a favourable climate in my spirit and soul:)There are really many benefits to reading the bible daily..i am taking tortoise steps to enjoy every bit of it!
The bible is God's love letter to me and to you.
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