I was brushing my teeth this morning when I looked over at my reading table in the bathroom (too much, I know), and there was Driscoll’s book Confessions of a Reformission Rev (great book, by the way), and the year old book was all beat up. Its cover was folded in half, the pages had stains on it, and every other corner was dog-eared. And at that point, I was convicted: did my Bible look that used? And then I thought about it: yes. Yes it did.
My Bible has been run over by a car, dog-eared, marked in by over 10 different pens, the pages are crinkled, the gold edging is rubbing off, and cover is fading and….I’ve had it just about 2 months. So my question now to you is this: how beat up is your Bible? How often do you use it? How often do you love Scripture? How often do you have to buy a new one? I bought my current Bible because a) I wanted an ESV and b) the cover had completely fallen off my old one, and the glue was coming undone down the spine. I’d had it for 4 months.
I hope you feel convicted. We can never read Scripture enough. I should be going through a Bible a week.
Derek,
nice one. One of my favourite quote is:
“A bible that is falling to bits probably belongs to a person who isn’t.”
How very true, John. Thanks for the comment!
Scripture talks about those who “search the scriptures in vain, thinking that in them they have life”. I think it is great if the guy with the worn out bible also has knee-holes in his pants from praying to Jesus, and his voice is worn out from proclaiming Jesus, and his body has a holy ache from serving Jesus in feeding the hungry.
On a lighter note, whoever is manufacturing your bibles must be drunk or using spit instead of glue.
I pray for the restoration of uptown Greenville brother.