By Gina Caswell Kelly
Have you ever thought much about how the Bible came to us? Most of us have one or more Bibles in our homes. I counted once, and I have 31 in my house! Some of them are mine that I got for various reasons. I have the Bible my daddy preached out of with all his notes written in it. I have my mother’s that she wrote the sweetest note in the day Daddy went to be with Jesus. I have my granny’s Bible with some of her notes in it. I have the very first Bible I received after I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I have my kids’ little Bibles from when they were growing up. And, I have my Bible that I use daily. That one is like a diary of my life. I have so many notes and dates written in the margins. That Bible is one of my most prized possessions.
I have seen much written about how we know the Bible is true. It is hard to imagine any other book being put together the way the Bible is. The earliest writings of the Old Testament are said to have been written around 1400 BC. And the latest Old Testament writings were written around 400 BC. So that is 1,000 years, basically, of books written on delicate parchment lasting to be handed down to the next generation.
The New Testament reflects on much of what was written in the Old Testament, so we know that the carefully kept scriptures were handed down and cared for tenderly. The New Testament was written in the first century AD. All this means that the Bible we hold in our hands today was written as early as 3,500 years ago. There are many instances where people have tried to disprove the Bible, and even still today, but they continue to find proof of its early existence, as well as proof in its words. God used, I believe 40 different writers of the books to bring His Word to us. Spanning over several centuries!
That is all well and good, but what does that mean for us today. My proof that the Bible is God’s Word is what I have seen in my own life. If you look through my Bible, you will see so many dates and notes that tell about how God used that scripture in my life that day. There are so many underlined passages, as well as notes in the back that document what God is saying through His word. I daresay, I don’t have any other books in my collection that speak to me with new words each time I read them.
My point is this. We are so blessed to have God’s Word so readily available to us. We should treasure it as they did when they were passing it down so carefully. We should turn to it daily to guide us through life. We should let God’s Word make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us.