I’m sure most Christian homes in America have more than one Bible. I personally have several. That being said, all my Christian life, I have heard stories of believers from around the world. Stories of  struggle, adversity, torment and even death. I remember as a teenager, I was astounded to discover there are places in this world where the Word of God is so precious, they will risk everything for a SINGLE PAGE. I was recently reminded of this fact, and I still have trouble wrapping my head and my heart around that. Bibles are readily available at hundreds of thousands of stores across this great nation. We can read them openly, without fear of wrongdoing; we can worship the Lord in the same way. In too many countries, even professing faith in Jesus can have catastrophic consequences.

The Bible has the answers to every question you will ever have. There is comfort, peace, joy and love in the Word. God speaks to us through His Word. Psalm 138:2b says, “For You have magnified Your Word above all Your name.” (NKJV) If the Father esteems His Word in such a way, there is no question we should, as well.

John 1:1-5 tells us why the Word is not just another book. It tells us why it is so precious: JESUS IS THE WORD! That’s why it is living and active, as it says in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Amplified)

Recently, the Lord reminded me of something someone once said, “How you treat your Bible is how you treat the Lord.” Unfortunately, like many Christians, I sometimes take the Word and my freedom to read it for granted. Life happens, and you find you missed a day, then another. Before you realize it, it’s been a week or longer. I’ve made a fresh commitment to the Lord to make it a priority to not just read it, but study it everyday.

Great things are coming in 2018. Some good, some bad. We need to be full of the Word of God; we need to be ready. The Word is as much life to our spirit as air is life to our bodies. If our physical bodies can’t live without air, even more so, our spirits can’t live without the Word of God.