I've always been puzzled by those BIG family Bibles. You know, the ones that weigh 40 pounds and sit on a coffee table?
We had one when I was growing up. It was white, with a soft, padded cover. Mama had written in it important dates like births, marriages, and deaths. If I could muscle it open, I'd touch the beautiful, glossy pictures of Jesus blessing the little children or ascending into heaven. We even made a family picture with that Bible open on Mama's lap. I never saw anyone read it, really; it was mostly just for looks.
When I got older, I came to understand that having a Bible wasn't what counted; it was the Bible having me. If I obeyed the Bible and let it teach me, lead me, change me, help me, and bless me, then it would have great power in my life. The writer of Hebrews says the Bible is more powerful than the sharpest sword because it can cut me to the quick and reveal my wrong motives and intentions.
Paul tells Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:16 - 17 that, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man (person) of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” If we make it our life–long quest to love the Bible, read it, study it, and do what it says, it will become part of us; and Jesus, the living Word of God, will be in control of us as He desires.
Now that I'm a mama, we don't have a family Bible. I hope my daughters realize that a Bible on the table won't do them any good. But, a Bible in their hearts can make all the difference in this world... and the next.
