When you open your Bible…
What’s going through your mind when you open up to read your Bible?
Are you feeling tired?
Are you thinking about someone else?
Are you wondering what's for dinner?
A suggestion from an old Bible scholar
The manner in which we approach the Bible is very important. The Bible is more than just any other book. In his introduction to the Great Bible (the first officially sanctioned Bible in English), Thomas Cranmer wanted to both encourage its reading and warn of its abuse. He wrote:
“Wherefore I would advise you all, that cometh to the reading or hearing of this book, which is the word of God, the most precious jewel, and most holy relic that remaineth upon earth, that ye bring with you the fear of God, and that ye do it with all due reverence, and use your knowledge thereof, not to vainglory or frivolous disputation, but to the honor of God, increase of virtue, and edification both of yourselves and others.”
What does it all mean?
Some of the words are a bit strange, but I think the message is very clear. We need to come to Scripture humbly, on our knees.
We need to be ready to hear from God, and mindful that we are reading the most important words ever written.
We are completely dependent on God, the divine author of all Scripture to open our eyes to the Bible’s truth.
So the next time you read the Bible, pray from the heart that God would open your eyes to see the treasure that is the Word of God.