If you've been a Christian for even a short period of time I'm sure you've heard, more than once, at least hopefully you've heard, "read your Bible". Many of us have heard to read it, and even though some of us may have heard the reason why we "should" read it, because we hear "should" all of a sudden it becomes a rule, an obligation, a guilt...anything but the real reason why we "should" read it. I'm hoping today that after you read this you will have a new understanding, a new desire, drop the guilt, drop the excuses, and pick up your Bible and read.
I became a Christian in my bedroom. I was not in church. I had not attended church. I had not been raised in a Christian home. I knew no theology. I became a Christian simply by reading the Bible, believing what it said, being convicted in my heart, and calling out for Jesus to save me. The Bible, His Word, is powerful. It's powerful! It changes lives. It changes hearts. If that's not enough reason to get you to open up His word then what about this......
Imagine....You have an awesome friend. You two do everything together. You grew up together. You share all your secrets, your joys, your sadness. You tell each other everything. You see each other every day and talk to each other every day and you can't imagine a day going by without seeing your awesome best friend. Now imagine....Your friend comes to you one day and says "I'm moving. I'm leaving this city, this state, this country. As a matter of fact, I'm moving to a place where there is no technology. No cell phones, no Skype. We won't be able to talk live or see each other for awhile. I will be coming back but I can't tell you exactly when because I'm not sure myself." Now wouldn't you just be heartbroken? This friend that you have been with your whole life is leaving. It probably feels like a part of you is dying. An overwhelming sadness. But then your friend says this...."I knew I was going to be leaving so I wrote you a huge letter, I mean a HUGE letter, and when you read this letter it will be just like we are here together again. I promise it will. You will hear my voice. It will bring back to your memory everything about me and our relationship together. It will help us stay close until I come back." Then your friend hands you this huge letter...this book...and then your friend leaves.
Now, after your tears and sadness have gone what do you do? Do you just put that letter, that book, on a shelf? Do you throw it away? Do you ignore it? No, I'm guessing that you come to a point where you miss your friend so much you pick up that book and you start reading that letter. Sometimes you laugh and sometimes you cry. Sometimes you might even get a little mad because you get reminded of something you said or did to your friend that was hurtful to them, but then you read how much your friend loves you and forgave you for all of that, and everything your friend has done for you, and you remember how much you love your friend.
One thing I think you don't do is just ignore the letter. If you did that you would have your memories for a short while but then you would grow apart. Your memories would fade. You would forget things. The things you used to treasure about your friendship. Pretty soon you would be so caught up in your new daily routine that you wouldn't even be thinking about your friend anymore. Your love for them would grow lukewarm, or cold, or be totally forgotten. No, I think you love your friend so much you would probably read parts of that letter every day. Some of them over and over again.
So that's what you do...you read that letter, over and over again. Parts of it become worn. Time goes on and you miss your friend even more than you missed them on that first day they told you they were leaving. You relive over and over again your experiences with them and you truly hear their voice every time you read that letter. And then one day it happens....your friend comes back! You rush to them with extreme joy, arms wide open, and hug tight like you've never been apart.
Now just quickly imagine the alternative...you take that letter, that book, from your friend, on the day they leave and you go home and put it on a shelf. Your life goes on and you never read it. Years and years and years go by. Then one day you get a knock on the door and open it. You don't recognize the person. They are a stranger to you. They look slightly familiar but you just can't place the face.
Think about it. Think about both of those scenes.
I'm not trying to guilt you. I'm trying to stir your heart and to remind you. The Bible is that letter....and Jesus is that awesome best friend. You want a closer relationship with Jesus? Then read that letter.....
