Daily Guideposts - November 20, 2005

November 20

Sunday

The word of our God shall stand for ever. —Isaiah 40:8

My bible is falling apart. And no wonder; I received it at Sunday school on September 29,  1957.  With colorful plates, maps, a concordance and student dictionary complete with illustrations from ark through Zion, it was perfect for a child.

Of course, I’m no longer a kid. Over the years the inexpensive leatherette cover has broken off along the edges. The gold-leaf gilding on the title rubbed off years ago and “Holy Bible” has become a dull gray shadow. In fact, the entire front cover sloughed off a couple of months ago, taking the first forty-nine chapters of Genesis with it. I stuck it back with cellophane tape, but even that has loosened, so I keep my Bible together with a rubber band. My shabby Scriptures.

They should look a lot worse. For the first thirty years I owned this Bible, I thumbed through it only casually, mostly at Sunday school. Then a dear friend introduced me to daily devotional reading — just as I was going through a divorce with four small children to care for. Bible reading became part of my early morning routine. Over the next fifteen years I underlined and highlighted my favorite passages, all the verses that really made a difference to me. Now I wouldn’t trade that Bible for a more handsome or sturdier edition. It’s my constant companion, my never-failing guide through life. No matter what struggles I’m going through, I can always turn to it for the help I need.

Yes, my Bible may be falling apart, but thanks to the wisdom in its pages, I’m not!

Dear Lord, thank You for Your Word hidden in my heart. —Gail Thorell Schilling

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