Why and How Should I Read the Bible? Personal Stories and Testimonies

Before I married my wife, she spent a year teaching in Tanzania. Email, phone and Skype were not options - only letter writing, and when I received a letter from her I read it time and time again - because there is something powerful about the written word! Whatever our current circumstances, whatever we are doing or feeling it always says the same thing. Christians believe that God has written a love letter to us which always say the same thing no matter the circumstances - the Bible.

About a year ago Grace and I bought a Toyota Prius. Suppose after I bought the Prius and I went out and I thought "Oh this is awesome!" Looked in the glovebox and there I found the Owner's manual. And I thought "Oh that looks interesting!" and I went back into my houes and I started studying it. And I got really interested in the Toyota manual and I started underlining some of the exciting stuff about the Prius. And then may - I took it further: I thought "Well, you know, some of this is so good, I'm going to learn it by heart!" So I copy out bits and put it on the mirror so I could learn it while I was shaving. And then maybe, you know give a talk on tire pressure or steering. Perhaps I could find some other people who were interested in the Toyota manual and join the Toyota manual club! And then maybe learn Japanese so I could study it in the original language. But the point of the manual is to drive the car and the point of the Bible is to be in relationship with God through Jesus.

Before we were married, Grace and I had a long distance relationship. We talked on the phone all the time. But there were times when Grace wrote letters to me. You know, I never received any personal letters. I went to the mail box and it was usually just junk mail and bills. But when I saw a letter with Grace's handwriting on it, I just felt this excitement, this thrill! Why? The letter in itself wasn't what it was about; it was because of the relationship: because it was a letter from the person I love. And I wanted to know what she was saying.