When I was a little girl, my church had envelopes we filled out each morning in Sunday school. It had little boxes for us to check if we were present, attended church, attended Sunday School, made contacts, and brought our Bible. I wanted all my boxes checked, so I brought my Bible with me to church each Sunday. From the little white Bible, to my teen Bible, to the Bible I carry now. I love books and a new Bible makes me so excited to fill the pages with notes, highlights, and references to help me as I study.
Children today don't know the beauty of all this because most use their phones and the Bible ap to read scripture.
When I need to find scripture now, I can picture it on the pages of my Bible where I wrote it down, highlighted it, or marked it up while learning about the passage. Most of the time I can get pretty close to where it is in the Bible based on my memory of what it looks like. I would never be able to do that on a phone and it would drive me crazy!
Children and adults today can google when they look for a passage or verse, but I would miss the notes I had written about it.
When I need my Bible, I know exactly where to find it. It sits in my kitchen on a little black telephone stand that used to sit under the wall phone in my grandmother's house. If it isn't there, it is in my purse on the way to church. I see it each day even after I have spent the morning reading it. It's there and reminds me that I need to behave! It's the adult version of Elf on a Shelf! The great thing is it is here all year and not just around Christmas time!
Children and adults today sometimes have to wait for their phones to charge before they can use the Bible on their phones. I don't ever have to worry about having enough battery to read my copy!
When I read my Bible each day, I picture Jesus and the devil sitting and watching me. I ask Jesus to sit with me each morning, but I know the devil is watching too. I've always heard the devil can see what I'm doing, but he doesn't know my thoughts. I've tried to read my Bible on the phone before when we travel, but it just isn't the same. There are too many distractions for me while I'm reading. The text message to answer, the email to read, or the Facebook notification that just can't wait. I do use the Bible ap devotions, but I have to be very disciplined in looking at scripture and devotional only during my time. I always try to read the verses from my Bible. I want the devil to see me reading the Bible... not see me looking at other things on my phone. I feel sure he gets pleasure from that.
Children today don't know about just sitting and talking to God without a phone. They think they need to be active the entire time. The beauty of reading the Bible is sometimes I just sit and let God influence me. To think, to be quiet, and to be without any distractions is sometimes just what I need to make it through a day.
Finally, when I read my Bible each day, I am reminded of all the prayer requests, the fears I once had, the anxiety I experienced, and the wonderful answered prayers and blessings I have been given. I try my best to be honest in my Bible and I love looking back at things that God has answered for me!
This Christmas as I read the Bible story once again, I'm happy to see the marks, the highlights, and the notes around the miracle of the story of Jesus's birth. I do hope that each person will take time to read the story whether it be on your phone or in a Bible. And if you are struggling with a last minute gift.... don't think to yourself that a Bible wouldn't be a good idea! It might just change someone's life!
No comments:
Post a Comment