IF THERE WAS NO BIBLE

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and
secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.”
(Hebrews 6:19)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about what the world might be like if there was no Bible?
What if there had been no cross, no sacrifice, no empty tomb, and no possibility
of salvation? What if there was no Holy Spirit, no mention of Jesus, and no
information about God and His desire for mankind?

How do you think our world would be without these things? Would we live
in a world where only the strong survive? A world where there would be no
guilty feelings for anything anyone does? A world where there would be no
laws, no police force, and many would hide in fear of constant dangers? Our
future would look bleak, wouldn’t it? Being overwhelmed with hopelessness
could cause some take their own lives. But, praise God, we all have the same
opportunity to infuse hope into our lives, and it begins with reading the Bible.

With God we do have an anchor that is firm and secure. We do have hope!
Why? Because God created us, He loves us, He wants what’s best for us,
and He has offered us His salvation. We don’t have to put our trust in any
other source (including the government, or any other thing man has created).
Fortunately, there are many have believed what they read in the Bible and
everything it says, including God’s plan for our redemption.

Our hope and trust is in the one and only Jesus Christ. God’s Word tells us
about the supreme sacrifice He made for us as an expression of His love for
mankind. Not only that, but the Bible tells us much more and all of it points
to Jesus, our Savior.

If you spend time reading the Old Testament, you can almost feel the excitement
building for what will be revealed in the New Testament. In the Old Testament we
see how history continues to repeat itself. God’s people cry out to Him when they
are in need, but when the storm has passed, they forget about Him again. Then
they suffer God’s punishment and cry out to Him again. He responds to their cries,
but again they stray away from Him.

This is a good reason for reading the Old Testament – we can see human patterns
that may describe our own lives. When the going gets rough, many people turn to
God after exhausting all other resources. Unfortunately however, as soon as the
crisis is over, many drift away from Him and forget how He lovingly helped them
in their time of need. Instead of being grateful for His help, they return to the life
they lived before the crisis.

After reading the Old Testament, the New Testament is exciting to read next,
because it provides a clear picture of where to place our hope. We discover
the magnitude of God’s love for mankind, and His desire that none should
perish. We find that God is interested in us, and wants us to accept His gift
of salvation.

The New Testament also outlines God’s expectations of those who receive His
salvation. We learn how to interact with God Himself and how our relationships
should be with others. It is refreshing to discover how God is interested in every
individual. Whenever we feel alone and misunderstood, we know that He is with
us, and He understands our needs.

ACTION:
Do you set aside time daily for reading the Bible? If not, then start. Don’t miss
out on this opportunity to discover more about God and the salvation plan He
created for every individual. What better source can you find that provides you
with a promise of everlasting life? We live in the NOW, but we also need to have
hope for a FUTURE that is promising. The future for all believers is to spend an
eternity with our Creator, the God of the universe, in Heaven.

Read His Word, meditate on it, and pray prayers of praise and thankfulness to
the Lord for all He has done, all He is doing, all He will do in your life, and for
His promises of a glorious future for you. Whenever you ask the Lord to help
you, don’t forget to thank Him for answering your prayers.

Look at how Solomon (the wisest man ever) thanked God for fulfilling His
promises:
    Then he said: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised
    with his own mouth to my father David.”
    (1 Kings 8:15)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for being neglectful in reading
Your Words to mankind. Help me to dedicate time daily for
reading the Bible. Teach me how to read with a desire to hear
from You about how to live as You want me to live. Show me
how to apply Your Word to the life I am living now, so that I
will be pleasing to You and I will enjoy Your blessings. Remind
me that the spiritual gift you gave me when You saved me is a
a special gift that I can use in serving You as an expression of
my heartfelt thanks for what You have given me. Create in me
a desire for righteousness and for pointing others to Your Son,
Jesus.”

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