The B-I-B-L-E

Vacation Bible School started yesterday at our home church.  I love Vacation Bible School.  I always have.  I remember one summer growing up that I asked to attend three different Bible schools.  Now, before you think too highly of me, I must admit that what I remember most wasn’t the Bible stories (hopefully, those did sink in though).  My fondest memories were the outdoor games (red rover, red rover), the refreshment time (fruit punch and those little creme sandwich type cookies), and the opening assembly.

The opening assembly was always a wild time with all the kids packed into one room in the church.  This time included pledging allegiance to the flags, praying about the morning ahead, and singing.  Lots and lots of singing.  And as loud as my kids tell me now that I sing in church, I can only imagine how loud my singing was back then.  But I was singing loud so The Lord could hear me clearly (or maybe I just like to sing loud).

We would sing “Onward, Christian Soldier” and I knew all the hand motions.  I can still do them today. It’s just a little more awkward.  One of my favorite songs that we sang back then was the B-I-B-L-E.  Maybe you remember it.

 Now, I doubt at that age that I fully realized that I was singing with such great excitement about the Bible.  I’m doubtful that at that time in my life I viewed it as exciting.  Because for many years my Bible was used mostly on Sunday mornings.  The importance of spending time in His Word was a little lost on me.  It just wasn’t a priority.  I didn’t comprehend or appreciate that the God of the universe had inspired this book to be written as a handbook for our lives. It isn’t just a book filled with stories from the past (although there are some really exciting stories packed in there!), the Word of God is living and active and applies directly to our lives today.

These days, I am more grateful than ever for the Bible.  I am thankful when my questions are answered by reading His words.  I am overjoyed when He teaches me something new from time spent with Him studying scripture.  And, I am stunned at times when Bible verses I had memorized years before come to mind providing reassurance and peace.

So what changed over the years in the way that I viewed the Bible?  Perhaps it was my heart.  I began to pray for a passion for reading God’s word.  And I continue to pray for a deep desire to be a lifelong student of the Bible.

If you are interested in a Bible reading plan, you might consider visiting www.biblestudytools.com. There are such great ideas listed there that should get your Bible study headed in the right direction.

There is so much we can learn from spending more time in the B-I-B-L-E.  My prayer is that our hearts will be filled with passion over reading His word.  That we will make a firm commitment to spend time everyday with Him in prayer and Bible Study.  He has so much to teach us, paths that He wants to protect us from, and so many ways that He wants to use us in this world.

It is time to get excited about reading the word of God! The fruit punch and cookies are optional!