I got to Bless someone with a Bible:

During the summer, my role is summer coordinator for the Bridge of Storm Lake.  I am actually in charge of college students who come to work at the nonprofit in the summer.  I help lead them in their roles and help them become leaders every week.  I want to see them grow to become great workers and leaders when they enter into their career-based jobs. Sometimes, I am also blessed with the chance to teach them about Christ.  A couple times a week, I will do a Bible study with the elementary/middle school students who come to programming. Even though this is technically for the young kids there,  I hope that my leaders are also listening, so they are given the chance to grow or learn about Christ.  

Recently though I was talking to one of my summer team members, and they were very concerned that on our packing list for the upcoming high school trip there was a spot for a Bible.  They told me they had never read or owned a Bible before.  I was surprised to hear this, but I had always grown up with one.  I have owned a Bible for as long as I can remember.  My mom or my grandma always made sure I had one.  I actually probably owned quite a few.  I didn’t realize how blessed I was to always have the Lord’s word in my grasp.  

Originally, I told her that she could borrow one of my Bibles.  I have quite-a-few Bibles like I mentioned.  However, the Lord was working in my heart that day.  He kept telling me that I should go and get her a Bible of her very own, one that is beautiful and fun, but still yielding the power of God for her to keep.  One that hopefully she will read and learn from.  One that she can take notes in.  I went to Hobby Lobby, and I found the perfect and cutest Bible for her.  It was teal with butterflies all on the side.  There are even places to take notes and coloring pages for important verses. I was so excited to give it to her.  The good news then was that she absolutely loved it, and she was excited to tell others that now she owned a Bible. 

This made me realize how precious God’s word is.  As James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  The Lord was the one who inspired the words in the Bible, so it completely comes from above and from the Lord.  This is then a good gift, and I would argue the absolute best gift.  The Bible is the only true insight into what our eternity will look like.  We have beauty on this earth, but that beauty will not compare to the beauty of the heavens.  

Now, I need to pray over this summer team member that this Bible will be a good blessing and a good gift in her life.   The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to put down a seed, but now I need to pray for opportunities to grow that seed.  This can either be done through me, or it can be done through another person that can walk into her life. I know I am not the one who can ultimately save her, only God can. However, I can continue to pray this Bible will be much more than a worldly gift. When I was actually on the high school trip, I showed her a bit more about how the Bible works and where you can find the chapters.  I showed her how chapters and verses work, and I explained the chapters that may be better to start with.  

I am not going to necessarily give you a challenge for the week, but I am going to be giving you a challenge for as long as you need it.  I want you to think about a person who you believe needs to have a Bible.  This could be someone you know who has never had or read a Bible.  This could be someone who is just starting their Christian walk. If you can’t currently think of someone, maybe pray over a situation where this moment could arise. I read a book where the author had many opportunities to give away her Bible to someone she talked to on an airplane. She remembers feeling so filled and happy that she had this opportunity.  I remember reading and not being able to think of someone who I could give a Bible. I prayed, just briefly, that a moment would emerge.  Now that moment has come, and I am praying that I can have more of these opportunities in the future.  

I know many people have cell phones that include easy and accessible Bible apps. However, there is something extraordinary about holding God’s Word in your hands. There is great power from his Word. With your printed Bible, you now have the chance to write notes, and showcase to the world your relationship with God. This is a good reminder for you to love your Bible and to share that love with the world in any way you can.