LITTLE ROCK — DEAR REV. GRAHAM: I picked up our old family Bible the other day and started reading it (which I’d never done before), but to be honest I didn’t get much out of it. Is the Bible mainly for preachers and people like that?
- V.L. DEAR V.L.: The Bible certainly should be the foundation of every preacher’s life and message, but no, it isn’t just for people like that. God’s Word is for everyone, and no matter who we are God wants to speak to us through its pages.
The reason is because God wants to change our lives, and one of His chief tools is the Bible. Through it, we learn who God is and what He did for us through Jesus Christ. Through it, we also learn how He wants us to live, and what it means to turn from sin and walk with Him every day. We learn, as well, about our hope of heaven. The Bible says, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword ... it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
What can you do to make the Bible part of your life? First, get a modern translation to supplement your old family Bible. Then set aside a few minutes each day to read it. Don’t skip around, but take a book and read through it little by-little every day. (I often suggest people begin with the Gospel of John.)
Then, as you read, ask God to help you understand what it says, and apply it to your life. The Bible says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.Do what it says” (James 1:22).
Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at
billygraham.org
Style, Pages 28 on 03/27/2012