Read any good books lately? When I was a kid, my uncle gave me a box of books by Louis L’Amour. I spent many a summer afternoon near the lake reading those action-adventure stories about pioneers in the Appalachian Mountains and cowboys on the western frontier. My uncle had gifted me with some good books.
Then there’s THE Good Book. The Bible is one Book made up of 66 smaller books, written by 44 authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a time of about 1,500 years. What’s amazing is how all these authors over all that time agree on God’s holy power and His plan to save people into His eternal kingdom.
The Bible is the record of God’s speech, as we read, “thus saith the LORD,” or “God said,” over 1,900 times in the Old Testament alone. The Bible was written by God’s spokespersons, and believers through the centuries have recognized the authority of these Scriptures coming from God and changing lives like no other writings can.
The Bible’s main theme is Jesus Christ. He told His opponents the Scriptures “bear witness about Me” (John 5:39), “Moses wrote about Me” (Jn 5:46), and for the disciples en route to Emmaus, “He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).
The Bible is called the Word of God (Lk 11:28), the Sword (Ephesians 6:17), the Truth (John 17:17), and a Lamp (Psalm 119:105). It’s also referred to as Milk (1 Peter 2:2), Fire (Jeremiah 23:29a), and a Hammer (Jeremiah 23:29b).
Because the words of the Bible were actually breathed-out, or “inspired” by God, there is no doubt we should pay careful attention to what God has said to us (2 Timothy 3:16). What a Good Book our Good Father has given!
