Word

Show me a Bible that is falling apart, and I'll show you a man who isn't.

- D. L. Moody (something like that)

I am sitting in a comfortable lean-back chair. The table is just the right distance and has just the right amount of space for all my books to spread their wings. Travis Cottrell is playing in my ears through the netbook on which I am typing. I am contemplating whether I should finish chapter 4 of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation or call it a day and head home before my eyes shut down. I say biblical canon and translation is rather interesting, but not as interesting as my bed right now. We'll see how long I can keep up.

I was introduced today as "the excited freshman" and that pretty sums up what I am right now as well as where I am right now. To get straight to the point, there is only one reason why I'm so excited, and that's because I'm studying the WORD. As I begin to study more and more (it's only been a week and a half or 3 days of classes) I'm reminded of one thing clearer than before. READ THE BIBLE. The past few weeks, every sermon, every passage, every meeting, every small talk, and everything in between seemed to be screaming, "SHUT UP AND READ YOUR BIBLE FOO!" PT was telling me to read. PJ in his sermons all week long was telling me to read. Multiple sermons on the radio were telling me to read. The cef bible camp theme was finalized to be B2B, Back to Bible or Back to Basics. All my classes were telling me to read, read, and read again (unfortunately not just the Bible). And all that is in me was clawing at the whitewashed walls to escape the dry and thirsty well within me. Let it reign. I am convicted to my core at how little of the Scriptures I know, not as one whose profession depends on knowing the word, but as one who puts his faith in the Word that became flesh and the Word that gives me life eternal.

It takes only 3 chapters a day to read the whole bible in one year. If I say I'm a Christian, a child of God, a follower of Jesus Christ, and I can't even count how many times I've read His Word.... just think about it. I could go as far as saying, "I'm not willing to give God even 20 minutes (at most for 3 chapters) of my day by reading his Word."

To know the Bible is not an option for those who want to know true inwardness. No one stays at the table long who does not study Scripture. Mystics without study are only spiritual romantics who want relationship without effort.
- Calvin Miller

As PT put it, "If you're not addicted to the Word, then you're most definitely addicted to something else." True that. "The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible," is what D.L. Moody would say. And finally, in the words of the psalmist, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."

So here's to a Josiah moment. Here's to a wake up call. Here's to discovering and rediscovering the sweetness of Jesus Christ revealed. Here's to a rekindled passion for knowing and obeying God's Word. Here's to a life full of Life.

Reporting live from the Biola library.