My hand reached for the gift as everyone in the congregation watched.  I pulled the book toward me, admiring its big, gold lettering. HOLY BIBLE was stamped across the front. At the time, I didn’t realise how precious this gift was.

  

A few years later, I carried that same Bible as I walked into a small country church. Each Sunday as I read from that Bible, my faith and God’s word became real.

  

It’s easy to depend on others to hear God’s word, leaving our own Bible closed and untouched. The Bible is personal, a lamp for our path today and for the future. Reading the Bible offers guidance in any stage of life. It encourages us to forgive, to find hope and to love others.

  

My gift from a thoughtful congregation when I was a student going to college has served me well for nearly 30 years. Its pages – some of them now crumpled from years of use – contain many handwritten notes of insight and guidance. Its words have provided powerful wis- dom to lead me through these 30 years. God’s word is truly a lamp for life’s path, a gift given to each of  us.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the Bible and your guidance through it. May its words become an even brighter lamp, guiding us every day. Amen