It’s a warm lovely Saturday afternoon and I’m sitting in my 400-square-foot study finishing up tomorrow’s words. Sunday comes around every seven days and in ministry one has to be ready mentally, emotionally, and spiritually; if not, it shows. Today is sweet though as I’m using my new Bible. I sprung for a new large print model that is wide rather than tall and as such fits on podiums, lecterns and pulpits and doesn’t protrude over the top. I decided large print was in my near future after having trouble reading the small print during a teaching session last week. The lights were dimmed for video and when the time came for reading scripture to the group, I had trouble making out the words. I have new glasses! The only option was to buy a large print Bible.
My new Bible is quite cool with its unique shape, large margins for making teaching notes, and the bigger font size. But in reality, it’s basically the same as all of my other copies of scripture. The Bible is the Bible is the Bible, right? Yes, I know that the version or translation type means something; and some prefer the older versions they grew up with, but in the end it is still God’s Word for humankind. So as I’m sitting here reading, praying, and writing, I’m aware that it’s up to me to make the Bible new to me. Ask yourself this question: “Have you read a verse or section of scripture dozens of times only to have it jump out at you as if you’d completely missed it all along?” I have, and each time it happens, I smile as I remember how powerful this book can be. In preparing to write on Paul’s letters to Timothy & Titus I read each letter five times before writing the first word. As soon as I began writing I encountered a verse on prayer that I could’ve sworn wasn’t in there the last time I’d read it. Where did that come from? Scripture became new to me that day; and while I will admit this doesn’t happen every day or even every week, there are times that the Bible morphs into our lives in new and profound ways.
So here I sit hoping my cool, odd-shaped large print Bible goes all new on me. If not, there’s always tomorrow.
Michael McCullar
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