Good Study Bibles

A Word on Bibles

Bibles are very personal items. When you pick out your own Bible for daily reading and study, you want it to be the one that God helps you to choose.

I have several Bibles that I keep on hand, all of them are excellent study and reference Bibles. But I have one worn Bible that I prefer to use every day. It's the Bible that the Lord directed me to when I was not yet even interested in serving Him or in reading the Bible each day. In fact, after I bought it, the Bible just remained in my bookcase for another year or so.

That Bible is special to me now, because when I began to seek God's will for my life, that was the one I found. By that time, we had moved, and it was packed away in a box. I got it and began reading. And the Lord spoke to my heart as I read His Word in Scripture.
My wife also has a Bible like that. It's an entirely different translation, but the Lord used that book to speak many things into her life.

I am convinced that the Bible translation is not so important as the heart and mind of the man or woman of God. We can read the simplest and easiest translation of the Bible, but if our hearts are not listening to the Lord, we won't get the message. On the other hand, when the heart is ready to hear from God, any Bible will do.

God speaks to people today just as He always has. God is not silent. But we as human beings must be wanting more of Him. It's good to want wisdom and knowledge, but these things are not enough in themselves. We must want God Himself — wanting to be with Him, and to know Him, and to hear from Him. Then He will speak to our hearts, to our lives, and He will direct our ways.

The Lord speaks through any faithful proclamation of His Word. He speaks in the Holy Bible, and in any honest presentation/representation of what the Bible has to say. Whenever a person opens their heart to know the message of God, giving full attention to the Holy Scriptures, God is speaking. So when you get alone with the Lord each day, opening the Bible and hoping to find some helpful word from the Lord, He will give you what you need for that day.

It may not always be what you expected to hear or see. But it will be life and health for you when you take it heart and carry it with you through the day. So write it down, or take the time to memorize it as best you can, and then ask the Lord to help you understand and apply His Word to your life. As you go through the entire Bible, reading and listening to the Lord you will gain a much wider and deeper understanding of His ways.

Jim