Wednesday, April 18, 2012

What Shape is Your Bible in?

Someone remarked today on the totally worn-out condition of my bible. The cover is scarred and torn. Pages are folded and creased and some have been accidentally torn out and then hastily inserted back in roughly where they belong. Quite often the reader of my bible would come across pages that have been stained by some food or drink I was consuming, the victim of a spill at some restaurant where I dined alone with only my bible for company.

I like my bible though and it is not ready for retirement.

Contrast this with the Christian whose bible sits in a place of honor on the shelf in their library, its cover never creased, its pages never folded, its contents never perused.

Which bible would bear more fruit in the life of the owner?

7 comments:

Granny said...

Over the years I've been gifted a few bibles and I still carry and read the one I started out with. It has verses underlined in red, notes written in the margin and a few tea stains. I'd rather get to the pearly gates with a worn and tattered bible than one I've never opened.

I love your posts and read them faithfully although I seldom leave a comment.

Ernest said...

I am well pleased and honored that you thought enough of that post to circumnavigate the annoying comment mechanism of Blogger. :)

Thank you for your kind words. My readership has dropped off dramatically but I can't complain. I guess in the end I would rather try and inspire a few than shock and alarm a thousand.

Anonymous said...

My Bible is pretty worn. I have sticky notes sticking out all over the pages. They've got different colors of hi-lighters throughout and some notes scribbled next to certain verses. The binding is about to give out on me. My favorite Bible I no longer use because it is very fragile. It was the one that went through the housefire that my kids died in. It was one of the few things that survived that fire, where the heat got so hot that it literally melted the piano strings in my mom's piano. The only ill affects the Bible suffered was some water and smoke damage. I used it for years after I became a Christian until it started falling apart. I retired it to my bookcase, but still occaisionally take it out to share with others how God spared His word. The scriptures tells us that God's word is indestructable. I know it didn't mean the actual Bible, but the words within the Bible that we're to hide in our hearts, but that Bible is a wonderful visual on how God is faithful to preserve His word.

Rocktown Gal said...

Ernie, I read also but rarely post. I've had my Bible for 36 years.

Your readership will pick up...with those that want and need to hear what you have to say.

OD from HT said...

I wish my daily Bible was still tattered and worn. My eyes have changed enough in the past few years that I had to put up my "old" one (HS graduation present) and get one with larger print. I miss my notes in the margins, stains, wrinkles and underlines.

Xa Lynn said...

I'm contemplating covering my most-used Bible in duck tape, as it is looking so ragged. I highlighted and commented in it, my oldest child decorated it years ago with purple crayon, and the outer binding on the spine has fallen off and been lost.

I should read it more.

Xa Lynn

secretcreek said...

I really hate when I've got to break in a new bible. On a well used bible I'll know from memory what side (R/L) of a page a verse will be. I'll have notes written in the margins, and ink/highlighter e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. I keep my worn bibles- I get them out and use them occasionally. I love to get out my bible given to me by my father when I was in the third grade - college. On the "Family record" page in the front I noted family and then all my pets LOL That always makes me smile.

I've taught Sunday School for over 30 yrs now. Unrelated- I gave a 15 minute talk in front of local bankers about backing our broadband company in getting internet to unserved rural folk. BTW, I hadn't mentioned anything about my faith during my talk. Afterward a gentleman came up to me and asked if I, by chance was a Sunday School teacher? I answered YES! with a smile. He said I could just tell, when I asked how he knew...?? You know, that made my whole month...just made it!

Keep wearing out your bibles!

-secret creek
SE Ohio