I picked up a Bible today from my shelf that I've had for over forty years. It used to have a paperback cover. Now it is bound in red double-knit fabric with cardboard inserts. The last few pages are barely held in by yellowing scotch tape. The spine came loose from the cover years back. The first ten pages don't fasten to anything. The inside has yellow highlighter, black underlining, Flair pen, and pencil notes. This Living Bible (copyright 1971) is the story of my early faith. The verses I marked, the notes I made, as well as the pages without a mark, all tell of my struggles and growth as a Christian.

The freshness of this paraphrase in the 1970's was similar to the clear breeze that The Message brings for people today. I remember drinking in every page as if Jesus wrote it personally to me. This was NOT my mother's Bible! And my faith was uniquely and delightfully my own as well. -- Which was a good thing since I lived 700 miles from home and there was no unlimited long distance on those phones!

I don't use that particular Bible anymore. I keep it as a memento of the early days. It's a good thing my faith did not depend on that book. It is too fragile to hold up to the demands of my life these days. Preaching, teaching, praying, studying... those flimsy pages could never keep up. My faith is not in the printed word, but in the Living Word that the printed word reveals. The Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword, separating our thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God was in the beginning with God (John 1:1). The Word of God became flesh and lived right here among us (John 1:14). That truth is too good to keep on a shelf!

A new year of joy

The year 2009 hasn't started off very well for many people. Jobs, houses, relationships, children, health -- each seems to be under attack by forces beyond our control. Where do we find joy when the outlook seems so gloomy?

Imagine living in exile thousands of miles from home. A reprieve comes from the central government that you can go back--all expenses paid! There's just one catch. When you arrive you learn that the old hometown has been laid waste by marauders and bandits. There is nothing left to show you ever lived there. Even worse, the helpers you brought with you are so discouraged they want to give up the project completely.

This is the situation that Nehemiah faced when he arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon about 400 years before Christ. Rather than listen to the "doom and gloom" around him, Nehemiah made a decision to move forward. He encouraged his helpers with the words: "The joy of the Lord is my strength!" He chose to find strength in the unchanging Almighty God, not the changeable situation around him.

That can be our encouragement today as well: The joy of the Lord is my strength!