6 May 2011

Bible Blessings

Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version, ©2011)
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

After returning from ROOTS, I have been reflecting on the ways that the Word of God influences us in our daily lives. Apt, perhaps, as this very week sees the 400th anniversary of the completion of the Authorised Version of the Bible, commonly known as the King James Version. This was the third official English translation of scripture, but a translation that continues to be used to this day. The popularity of this version helped to make God's word accessible to English-speaking people throughout the world.

The King James Version has been described as "the most influential version of the most influential book in the world, in what is now its most influential language". It has contributed 257 idioms to English, more than any other single source, including Shakespeare.

Four centuries have now passed, and accessing the Bible is easier now than it has ever been. I have counted over a dozen separate translations on my bookshelf, including an Annotated New Testament in the original Greek. I receive Bible verses daily via email from WordLive (which are very good, follow the link here for more details). My iPod has a podcast version of the New Testament entitled 'You’ve Got the Time' (courtesy of the Bible Society, see link here). I even downloaded a Bible App for the iPod this morning.

We are really wonderfully blessed by the multitude of ways we can access Scripture today.

And yet there is still a challenge. Unless we make regular use of these resources to read or listen to the Word of God, how can we expect God to work through us? It's still down to us to make time for His Word. If this resource is truly 'alive' (see the reading above), it's up to us to absorb it, enabling us to pass on His blessings to others.

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