September 2019

Dear Friends -

Ever find yourself in a situation in which you simply don’t know how something works?

A new home owner walked into a hardware store and asked for a chainsaw. The salesman recommended the top of the line model. It could cut down 6 trees an hour. The man was impressed and bought it. The next day he brought it back, complaining that it didn’t work. He cut down one tree and it took ALL DAY! The salesman took the chain saw, pulled the rope and it started right up. The home owner shouted, “What’s that noise?”

It is easy to miss out on good things simply because we don’t know what we need to know. – That is true in daily life. It is also true in our faith. Not knowing what the Bible teaches about our God, ourselves and our lives can lead us to miss out on a lot of good things.

I write that to encourage you to read your Bible! Reading your Bible regularly holds the promise of providing you with the knowledge that can guide your life.

If you have a regular habit of reading the Bible, great! Keep it up. If you don’t have that habit, start NOW.
There may be times when this discipline doesn’t seem to produce results. The Bible is not an easy book. The most recent parts are 2000 years old. Some of the references are confusing. Some parts are more difficult to understand than are others. Some parts are familiar and so when we read them we think, “I know that. I don’t really need to pay attention.”

Remember we often compared the Word of God to a seed. Jesus did this in the parable of the soils (Mt 13). And one thing we know about a seed; you don’t get fruit the same day you plant the it. It takes time for a seed to grow and produce fruit.

It takes some time for the Bible to have an impact in your life. If you become discouraged and stop reading, you have stopped planting seed. If you stop planting you won’t get any fruit. By regular reading of the Bible you can plant the seed that nourishes your mind and your soul, and produces fruit that pleases the Lord.
Here are some ideas for beginning to read the Bible.

1. Don’t try to read it through. Read books of the Bible through.
2. Start with Matthew or Luke and take your time. Spend time on those familiar
   parts.
3. Pick a modern translation not King James.
4. If you don’t understand something. Keep going.

Reading the Bible is good for your soul. Plant some seed today, and tomorrow you may just reap a harvest of good things.

​     ~ Pastor Byron

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