Seven years ago, I received a Bible from my parents for my 16th birthday. (Ok, so now you all know how young I am!) When I first got my Bible, everything was brand new. The pages were crisp. The outer lining was a perfect, shiny silver. And there were no markings anywhere in the whole book. I was almost afraid to touch it; it was so beautiful!
But I quickly learned that a beautiful Bible is, in fact, not so beautiful at all. A perfect Bible is not ever picked up. It is not read daily. It has not spoken the truths of God to its owner. It has been touched by neither pen nor highlighter and therefore does not contain any helpful notes. It has no history with it's owner. And that is indeed the greatest tragedy of all.
So I decided that it needed some character. And, of course, there is no way to mark it if it has not been read. The first thing I did was turn to a few passages of Scripture that I love and "box" the stories with my pen (and a ruler). For the next several months, I ALWAYS used some sort of instrument to make perfectly straight lines for all of my underlining and notes. Eventually, I realized that straight lines do not make it any easier to read and I gave up on that idea altogether.
But let me go back to the beginning for a second. Shortly after I got my Bible, I was reading through 2 Corinthians when the Lord showed me a passage that had never struck me the way it did that day. I read it over and over again and finally decided to "box" it in like I had done with those other passages that I really liked. I neatly highlighted all of the verses and outside the box I wrote in perfectly clear handwriting "My Passion".
As the years have passed, I continually find this passage while flipping through my Bible, and I read it again to renew that passion in my heart. I want to share it with you because I believe it is what every Christian's desire should be:
Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation - giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardship, in disresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true, as unkonwn yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
2 Corinthians 6.2-10
I am learning more and more each day that the Lord has placed a hole in my heart that can be filled only by Him. In a child's Sunday School class, they sometimes call it the "God-shaped hole" in your heart. :) As silly as that sounds, it is exactly the truth. God has created us to get the greatest satisfaction in life by worshipping and serving Him!
If you are interested in learning more about the joy and peace that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ, do not hesitate to email me with any questions you may have.
But I quickly learned that a beautiful Bible is, in fact, not so beautiful at all. A perfect Bible is not ever picked up. It is not read daily. It has not spoken the truths of God to its owner. It has been touched by neither pen nor highlighter and therefore does not contain any helpful notes. It has no history with it's owner. And that is indeed the greatest tragedy of all.
So I decided that it needed some character. And, of course, there is no way to mark it if it has not been read. The first thing I did was turn to a few passages of Scripture that I love and "box" the stories with my pen (and a ruler). For the next several months, I ALWAYS used some sort of instrument to make perfectly straight lines for all of my underlining and notes. Eventually, I realized that straight lines do not make it any easier to read and I gave up on that idea altogether.
But let me go back to the beginning for a second. Shortly after I got my Bible, I was reading through 2 Corinthians when the Lord showed me a passage that had never struck me the way it did that day. I read it over and over again and finally decided to "box" it in like I had done with those other passages that I really liked. I neatly highlighted all of the verses and outside the box I wrote in perfectly clear handwriting "My Passion".
As the years have passed, I continually find this passage while flipping through my Bible, and I read it again to renew that passion in my heart. I want to share it with you because I believe it is what every Christian's desire should be:
Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation - giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardship, in disresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true, as unkonwn yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
2 Corinthians 6.2-10
I am learning more and more each day that the Lord has placed a hole in my heart that can be filled only by Him. In a child's Sunday School class, they sometimes call it the "God-shaped hole" in your heart. :) As silly as that sounds, it is exactly the truth. God has created us to get the greatest satisfaction in life by worshipping and serving Him!
If you are interested in learning more about the joy and peace that comes from having a personal relationship with Christ, do not hesitate to email me with any questions you may have.
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