My friend likes to see what passages they underlined or
highlighted. What promises were precious to them, what notations are written in
the margins? He tries to intersperse these into his funeral message.
You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their Bible. Sometimes you find records of births and deaths and baptisms. Even better, you discover a little about the spiritual journey of the person who owned the Bible.
I found my wife's old Bible from her
first year of college. It is nearly worn out and the back cover has come off.
She underlined verses on almost every page, circling words and cross-references. Often she added personal notes – “Thank You, Lord!” beside a
promise, “WOW!” next to another.
I also found a small inscription at the top of an otherwise
blank page in the back. To my surprise it was my own handwriting: I love you, February 13, 1971.
No telling what you’ll find in an old Bible.
Dionne has one of her grandmother’s old Bibles. Grandma
Lindal had the entire New Testament
committed to memory, and a good portion of the Old Testament. Her Bible
reflects this life-long commitment. Every page is wrinkled and worn, smudged by
years of study. Her notes and underlinings speak volumes about her love for
Christ and her life lived in obedience to Him.
The most unique feature of one of my old Bibles is that, if you hold it by the spine and fan the pages, it always opens to 2 Chronicles 20. That's the story of King Jehoshaphat’s desperate
prayer for the nation of Judah as they awaited the imminent invasion of an enemy army. God miraculously delivered His people then - as He still does today.
Fifteen years ago we were living in the Midwest. I was studying this passage
when tornado sirens began to blare and our house started to shudder from the force of the storm. The power cut out and tree trunks were snapped off like twigs. Alone in the house, I ran to the basement, leaving my Bible open on
the desk.
When the storm passed, our house and property were damaged,
but still safe. My study window had been ripped out of its frame and rain
poured onto my desk, soaking my Bible. After it dried it always opened to the
story of how God fought the battle for His people.
What’s in the Bible tells us all we need to know about
Christ, forgiveness, and salvation. But the Bible may also tell a lot about us,
too.
What does your Bible tell about you?
