The B-I-B-L-E

At the top of our staircase we have a small sign in our house that reads “Be Still.” I look at it almost every day. On days I can barely make it up the stairs to bed from an exhausting day, it’s a great reminder to quiet my heart and relax. On the days I am busy getting the kids ready for bed, putting laundry away, picking out pj’s, and taking care of myself, it’s a good reminder to stop and enjoy the moment. I read it almost every day never realizing the importance of reading a small little sign.

“Be still and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

I have never been much of a reader, but I love to read. Maybe it is because books let us escape from reality into an alternate mindset. If you read a lot you know this to be true. I have a lot of friends who are readers and recommend books to me that they “couldn’t put down.” This has happened to me with a few novels filled with hundreds of pages that I have read in just a few days.

If you are like my husband, you like to study books. Every year it seems I buy him some type of book about a person, or historical event that teaches us a life lesson from the events and outcomes that happened.

My kids love books too. In our house we have collected over 300 children's books in just five years. We read almost every day, multiple times a day. There are some books that I don’t have to look at the words on the pages, because I have them memorized from repetition.

I was at a wedding recently where books were the centerpieces. It was a perfect display of the couple's love for reading, and the beautiful simplicity that books bring to life. In many ways, it felt classic. Books comfort us, teach us, entertain us, and in many ways force us to be still. If you are, or you know someone that is a true lover of reading, you know the obsession.

The same way many people are obsessed with a series of great story books, is the way I strive to be obsessed with my Bible. The sad reality is, if I am being honest, I hardly ever read it. Most days, the little sign at the top of my stairs that references a bible verse is the only “reading” I do.

In my last blog, I asked us all (including myself) to examine if we are running to Jesus. Maybe you are like me and whatever you are facing right now is making you question how to do this. Life is hard. Life is unfair. Life is full of disappointments and sadness. So, how do we run to Jesus when life isn’t going the way we want, is disappointing and difficult?

As I am trying to wrap my head around how to do this, I am reminded of the memories I have of Sunday school growing up. A lot of these moments I remember even more now, as I raise three little girls (although the songs have made quite an upgrade in thirty years).

If you didn’t grow up in church, let me share how Sunday school went: we almost always had a felt board Bible story, songs about the love of Jesus, a correlating craft, and my favorite part as a kid... a snack. Those catchy tunes I learned in church, stay with me to this day. “Jesus Loves Me,” and “The B-I-B-L-E,” my kids are still singing, even with all the new, hip, Jesus-loving tunes out there. These classic, simple songs have powerful words! God knew decades ago that little brown haired, brown eyed girl in those Sunday school classes would need these songs as a reminder many years later.

"Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so;

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

Yes, Jesus loves me!

The Bible tells me so."

"The B-I-B-L-E,

Yes that's the book for me;

I stand alone on the Word of God,

The B-I-B-L-E."

I have been walking through the biggest trial of my life. When Aria Joy was diagnosed with leukemia, I never imagined I would feel this level of pain, uncertainty, fear, and doubt. God did. In my searching for answers and in my pleas, I am reminded of simple songs from Sunday school. Maybe you too are facing struggles, have questions, or need hope. God is reminding us to seek Him through His word; through reading the Bible.

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." Romans 15:4

As I navigate my trial, I am choosing to run to the Bible for answers and hope. What I am finding is that Jesus uses messed up, unworthy, not well liked, doubt filled and extremely unlikely people to make a difference in the world. Jesus loves us despite all our flaws and sins. The Bible reminds us so many times of the greatness of God. Jesus heals, teaches, feeds, casts out evil, forgives, shows us how to love and pray, comforts, and demonstrates His power throughout.

As we run to Jesus, let us remember to read. My friend, whatever trial you are facing isn’t too big for our God! We can cling to the hope and testaments of the past by choosing to open the pages of God’s Word. Join me in this. Choose to be still, choose to read. Right now, when we can’t stand on our own, let’s stand on the Word of God---the B-I-B-L-E.