Reading The Word

As I have been sorting and packing I realized how my life has been guided by the Bible. And my search for understanding has been molded by many different versions of Bibles. I have explored the Word in versions that matched my stage of life, it appears. When I was young I received a Revised Standard Version Bible when I was baptized so that was what I used throughout most of my youth group and Sunday school days. In high school we were introduced to the Good News for Modern Man, also called Today's English version of the New Testament. It opened my eyes to the Word with its cartoon-like illustrations and language that seemed clear and familiar. This paperback Bible has been taped together and the inside covers carry notes of learning how to pray, studying Acts, and a list written by my mother when she must have used my Bible for several years of Bible studies.

I used the Living Bible for the next few years. At a time when my babies were still small and I joined Friendship Bible Coffees. It includes a chart showing that I read through the Bible book by book for the first time. The next step was to a Woman's Devotional Bible. It offered topical writings by women interspersed that gave insights to the scriptures in a new way.

With each new Bible I increased my studying of scripture and became more familiar with the books. I have never been good at memorizing scripture so I can't quote you a scripture off the top of my head. However, the years of study helped me learn to use the concordance to supplement my reading and the more I read the more I am able to find what I'm looking for. Now I am using primarily the Life Application Study Bible in the New International Version. It is also well worn by now with highlights and underlined verses and many notes in the margins. I have started using yet another version to read through the Bible again.

I admire my mentors who are so good at quoting scripture and I wish I had that kind of mind. But, I love being familiar with the Word as I read it because it always brings more meaning to light. I gain such pleasure from reading and knowing about Jesus Christ and all of the ways His life was prophesied in the Old Testament.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1-2 NIV).

I can't part with any of my Bibles. They hold part of me now.