It was with much reluctance that I recently replaced my quarter century old Bible with a new one. But when I was studying Exodus this summer, the cat stepped on it. (I don't know how evolutionists explain why cats have an irresistible drive to come between humans and their reading material. As a creationist, I think it's a lesser known result of the Fall of Man--the Fall of Cat.) I knew my Bible was worn, but ever since the cat event, Exodus has been exiting page by page. Isn't that ironic? At the risk of sounding like my husband describing a gun, I liked my Thompson chain reference NIV with maps and archeological supplement, but thought buying a less familiar version might re-energize my study. I hoped it would help me dig a little deeper, instead of just thinking about digging deeper. I decided to get a side-by-side NIV Amplified, 357 long barrel with a scope. Just kidding about the last part, the Bible is a sword, not a gun.
The package arrived from Christian Book Distributors, but I was having a hard time making myself use it--kind of like young David who was reluctant to fight Goliath wearing Saul's armor because he hadn't "proved" it. Or people who buy a new car, but are afraid to take it out of the garage. But I have made a start, and as our pastor cites different references during the sermon, I find myself checking out the Amplified version. Putting a toe in the living water, so to speak. I was relieved to discover my new Bible didn't have maps and many of the other helps of my old one, so I have an excuse to keep it close at hand. I am still at the stage where finding references in my new Bible feels like a "sword drill", which I am losing. But once I have "proved" it, I am sure it will be as well loved as its predecessors. After all, the Bible has proved itself in every time, place, language and occasion in which a Sword is needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment