“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.”  (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)

Sitting next to a young child, I opened my Bible to the Gospel of John and pointed her finger to the words in red. When I told her Jesus had spoken them, her bright eyes widened in surprise. “Jesus said this?” she asked. Touched by the child’s awe, I thought about the psalmist who considered God’s Word to be of greater value than the finest gold (Psalm 119:127-29).      

One of God’s greatest gifts, the Bible, is powerful and life changing; it touches the heart as nothing else can. Through God’s Word, He speaks to us and tells us of His love. We serve a personal God who wants us to know Him and to love Him. When we look at Jesus, we see the perfect image of God (Colossians 1:15). When we read His profound words and see His love and compassion for others, we cannot help but love Him. God’s Word is the absolute truth and the final authority; it never changes. The Bible’s riches are inexhaustible, and each new reading can reveal truths never seen before. We Americans are blessed to have the freedom to study the Bible, and we must never take it for granted. As we walk through this troubled world, let us read and study it as if our lives depend on it. May we cherish it and see it as it is: God’s very own words spoken to us.    

Father, thank You for the Bible and the freedom we have to read it. Give us an unquenchable thirst for it and a deeper understanding of its truths. Fill our hearts with Your love and help us to know You in a greater way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.