The Best Book We Can Ever Forget to Read

Courtesy of Derk for crafting out this post.

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Americans seem to do interesting surveys all the time. Take a look at a few statistics I found:

-Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels.
-82 percent of Americans believe “God helps those who help themselves” is a Bible verse.
-A survey of graduating high school seniors revealed that over 50 percent thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were husband and wife.

Now what do we Christians understand about the word of God?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”

Paul of Tarsus, to Timothy
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

Yeah it’s obvious that the Bible is completely crucial for all the undertakings that Christians will be called for, but what jumps out to me is that it is GOD BREATHED.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Author Unknown (Some say it’s Paul)
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Though it may not necessarily have that kind of link, when I read “GOD BREATHED” I think about when God first breathed the breath of life into that physical container that became Adam. And then I think about “life” in a wider sense. Life!

Sometimes when we discuss Bible study techniques we talk about how to make Bible Study more “interesting” or make it less “boring” by adding pictures or activities because “let’s face it, it’s boring etc etc”. But then ah, yeah maybe going in with this kind of pre-set attitude isn’t the best way to do it.

What we need to ask ourselves is whether in our heads we’re putting the Bible alongside other things we Have to Do, but reluctantly, like cleaning the toilet or Pengajian Malaysia. How about we think of the Bible as something indispensable, like one of the three things we’d take with us if we got stranded on a desert island or in some far-off place like Banting =P

When my dad was young he met this elderly English man named Mr. Impit. He was about 80 at that time, and he had arthritis that was so bad that when stood up his head was level with his shoulders and he wasn’t any taller than when he was sitting (about four feet). Besides that, his eyesight had deteriorated to the point where he could not read any more. (Kinda like Isaac in Genesis 27)

But the thing is, every time the assembly gathered to worship, Mr. Impit would always stand up and share from the Bible – anything from a Psalm or the Gospels or Paul’s letters. He had memorized the entire Bible so it didn’t matter that he couldn’t read anymore.

Bibles come in lots of pretty shapes and colours these days. They even come with pretty informative footnotes, maps, illustrations... whatever. But it’s a crying shame to think about how many of those are just collecting dust somewhere just like how my Bible used to collect dust when I was younger.

But I’m not a kid anymore. WE are not kids anymore.

Leaving aside the fact that through the Bible God provides comfort for those who are distraught or the fact that God sometimes chooses to reveal his purpose for our lives through the Bible (Psalm 119:105) or that with the Spirit and the Word we are to do the work of apologists (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) or many many more.

First and foremost, we should study the word simply because it is obvious that God WANTS us to and that should be enough reason for any Christian.