Growing up, I thought the Bible was a real snoozer. I had no idea it contained the living, breathing Word of God. The only Good Book I had ever seen was my great-grandmother’s original King James Bible, the 1611 version, and it put me to sleep. I didn’t know why Jesus was so important, but I had an inward longing to know God, so I’d pick up that cracked blue leather Bible with crinkled pages and read page one of Genesis...
...until drowsiness overtook me. Then I’d put that antique Bible back on the shelf until next time. I read the first chapter of Genesis about fifteen times as a teen, but that was as far as I got.
When I came to faith as a college student, I discovered the power of God’s Word. Reading a modern translation, I began to understand God’s love for me. As a desperate young mom years later, I discovered that God’s Word gave me peace and encouragement. When I began to parent teens, I learned God’s Word imparted wisdom and strength. In today’s world, against the backdrop of grim headlines in the news, I find hope on its pages. I find joy that sustains me in my weak moments.
To be honest, some days I roll my eyes as I open my Bible with thoughts like these: “I’ve read this passage so many times; there’s no way I can learn anything new from it.” But the Bible surprises me. It speaks to me every time I open it. God’s Word is alive and active because the Holy Spirit brings it to life. Even when I’m reading a passage for the tenth time.
The Bible is a living book with a timeless message. The more we read it, the more God’s words get into us. We get to know God better. We find wisdom and guidance for how to deal with our crazy lives. We find peace for our troubled times and hope for our hard moments.
There are certain books of the Bible that we need to read over and over. Here are 10 of them:
1. Genesis
Slide 1 of 10
Although I fell asleep reading Genesis as a teen, I now marvel at how it sets the foundation for understanding who God is and how He relates to man: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 ).
The stories of how God created the world and chose a people for Himself help us understand the rest of Scripture. In Genesis, for example, we find the first prophecy regarding Christ’s coming, right after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.
This book tells us dramatic stories: Abraham and Sarah having a child in their old age, the miraculous provision of a wife for Isaac, and Jacob’s two wives battling for his favor. We read about Jacob’s jealous sons selling their brother Joseph, their father’s favorite, into slavery, and how God ironically used Joseph to save them from famine later.
2. John
Slide 2 of 10
John helps us get to know Jesus better. Many of us love this book for its beautiful, inspiring language and for the picture it paints of Jesus and the relationship we can have with Him. We find hope and inspiration from Jesus’ “I am” statements: “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35 ), “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12 ), “I am the Good Shepherd” ( John 10:11 ), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25 ), and “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6 ).
More mystical and philosophical than the other three gospels, John gives the most convincing argument in favor of the supernatural identity of Jesus as the Son of God. John alone calls Jesus the Word of God: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” ( John 1:14 ).
John states his purpose for this book: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” ( John 20:31 ).
...until drowsiness overtook me. Then I’d put that antique Bible back on the shelf until next time. I read the first chapter of Genesis about fifteen times as a teen, but that was as far as I got.
When I came to faith as a college student, I discovered the power of God’s Word. Reading a modern translation, I began to understand God’s love for me. As a desperate young mom years later, I discovered that God’s Word gave me peace and encouragement. When I began to parent teens, I learned God’s Word imparted wisdom and strength. In today’s world, against the backdrop of grim headlines in the news, I find hope on its pages. I find joy that sustains me in my weak moments.
To be honest, some days I roll my eyes as I open my Bible with thoughts like these: “I’ve read this passage so many times; there’s no way I can learn anything new from it.” But the Bible surprises me. It speaks to me every time I open it. God’s Word is alive and active because the Holy Spirit brings it to life. Even when I’m reading a passage for the tenth time.
The Bible is a living book with a timeless message. The more we read it, the more God’s words get into us. We get to know God better. We find wisdom and guidance for how to deal with our crazy lives. We find peace for our troubled times and hope for our hard moments.
There are certain books of the Bible that we need to read over and over. Here are 10 of them:
1. Genesis
Slide 1 of 10
Although I fell asleep reading Genesis as a teen, I now marvel at how it sets the foundation for understanding who God is and how He relates to man: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 ).
The stories of how God created the world and chose a people for Himself help us understand the rest of Scripture. In Genesis, for example, we find the first prophecy regarding Christ’s coming, right after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.
This book tells us dramatic stories: Abraham and Sarah having a child in their old age, the miraculous provision of a wife for Isaac, and Jacob’s two wives battling for his favor. We read about Jacob’s jealous sons selling their brother Joseph, their father’s favorite, into slavery, and how God ironically used Joseph to save them from famine later.
2. John
Slide 2 of 10
John helps us get to know Jesus better. Many of us love this book for its beautiful, inspiring language and for the picture it paints of Jesus and the relationship we can have with Him. We find hope and inspiration from Jesus’ “I am” statements: “I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35 ), “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12 ), “I am the Good Shepherd” ( John 10:11 ), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25 ), and “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6 ).
More mystical and philosophical than the other three gospels, John gives the most convincing argument in favor of the supernatural identity of Jesus as the Son of God. John alone calls Jesus the Word of God: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” ( John 1:14 ).
John states his purpose for this book: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” ( John 20:31 ).
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