The Comfort of a Bible
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| My two favorite Bibles. The green one has my heart but when the pages starting falling out I got the pink one and now it's stealing my heart. |
Once I was at Bible study with my friend Bobby and she told of a time earlier in her life when she was going through a hard experience.
She said she would just lie in bed at night holding her Bible to her chest.
She just needed to feel it close to her.
I knew just what she was talking about.
I love my Bible and often have found myself just needing to hold it close.
I've always been impressed with all the pretty Bible covers or jackets I see so many have.
They look so nice and organized and so I've bought a couple different ones and attempted to use them.
Needless to say I never could.
I don't know what it is about me but I just have to have my hands on the Bible, I want to know the feel of it.
I remember one of the Elders in our church standing up before us teaching and I couldn't help but notice how his Bible fit his hand.
It was like a glove, that leather had made contact with his hands so often it just knew what to do and where to fall open.
It was beautiful.
I've always wondered why is it that we get comfort just from holding our Bible?
Then when I was studying the book of John the answer was there.
This is what it says in John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Who is this talking about? What is it saying?
Who is the He it says is the Word?
Look at it again, He is Jesus, He is the Christ and He was with God in the beginning.
That's the answer, that's why we get so much comfort from holding our Bibles.
Our Bibles are the Word and the Word is God, the Word is Jesus.
It's the closest thing here on earth that we have to Him.
In a way it's like when we hold our Bible's we are holding God.
When we know our Bible we know our God.
Now I know why I draw strength and courage from letting my Bible become one with my hands and my heart.
I know why it gets smudged and the leather gets broken and the pages get torn and bent.
Hebrews say the Word is alive and active and it is.
It's alive and living and doing life with me and thus the smudges, bends and torn pages.
An older lady who I loved dearly told me once years ago, "Honey, even a good life is a hard life."
How right she was and how glad I am I have the Word to go though life with after all remember that verse in Matthew eleven that goes like this, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls."
Think about a yoke you've seen hanging in a barn, think of how they are dirty and bent and stained with sweat and you might even find some hair still in them.
They started out new and crisp and tight but when they had spent many days with a horse they got to showing signs of wear, signs of doing life.
It's the same way with our Bibles
The verse doesn't say we won't have burdens to bear if we walk with Jesus, or that we won't have to submit to some type of yoke.
It's just the opposite.
Jesus is basically saying, I have a yoke, it's been fitted just for you, no one else. Don't worry you can handle it, I've seen to it.
Can't you almost see Him coming over to you and lifting the ill fitting yoke you have put on yourself, he is gentle because He knows while you were trying to wear the wrong one you were blistered, cut and wounded.
Imagine Him smoothing salve over the places rubbed in your back.
Then imagine yourself standing still and kneeling before Him while He places His yoke, His will for your life on your back.
Imagine the sigh of relief.
This is what you were meant for.
You can do it!
His Word is alive and it is life giving and it brings comfort and courage like nothing else.
That's why we find comfort in the Bible.
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