Reading the Bible
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Opening the Bible can feel daunting, like climbing an unfamiliar mountain. I’ve heard so many reasons why one may be discouraged from opening the best book ever recorded. One such reason….
Intimidating!
The beautifully written pages of our very existence, the truth of our HIStory…
Okay, when we describe it in that light I can see the intimidation shining through. Don’t fret! I am here to encourage you, dear new friend of mine!
Behind those pages are the hidden gems, potential joys, truth, forgiveness, guidance, and most importantly, knowing God our Creator. You see my friend, this is not just any book, it’s a map to a pathway of inviting God into your life and establishing a relationship with Him.
Join me on this journey to discover the beautiful story, our story! One that leads to forgiveness of sin and having our name written in the eternal Lamb’s Book of Life. It won’t cost you anything, but FAITH.
Becoming adopted sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, what a priceless gift to receive!
Now that we are going to start on this adventure together, the next question…
What Bible Version Do I Suggest to You?
What version do I suggest to you?
This can be a discouraging question, especially when walking into a bookstore and finding the array of bible versions that are neatly aligned on the bookshelf with so many different versions to choose from.
How does one choose the right one?
Everyone has their opinions, including mine, but the best choice is to pick up the Word of God and read the message He has for you.
Wait! There is more…
If you would allow me to share the version I prefer and as to why I chose it, please continue with me!
I would encourage you to reach out for the King James Version (KJV), which is based on the 1611 King James Version that was put together by King James with several educated scholars to compile the bible into one physical book translated into English. Is this the entire written Word of God? I would say this is a small enough portion that was documented and preserved. If you think of everything that God has ever created and all the events of guiding His people through events in History…that would be a lot! Everything would not fit just in one book or scroll, so to say this is everything would be a false statement.
So, do we need every single account and event?
Not necessarily, hear me out…. Yes, the bible leaves many gaps in history, but let’s focus on what is important is the message from God to us. We aren’t meant to know all events, but the most important ones are there for us to know, and the rest of the unknown we leave to understand and have faith we will know one day should God choose to reveal it to us.
The most important parts are who God is, who Jesus is, the Holy Spirit, what eternal life is, what sin is, and knowledge of heaven and hell. These are the most important facts.
Why King James Version?
Why King James Version (KJV)?
So, why choose KJV then if it doesn’t have ALL the scrolls ever recorded?
Because it is complete in the sense that everything that is in the Old Testament reflects and supports the books of the New Testament.
I believe many more events and scrolls have accounts of our great history of God, our ancestors and of Jesus Christ, but I have faith in the KJV as being the closest version that has been unaltered that I can have access to and this very bible is what I read to find my true place in this world and in God’s heavenly kingdom.
God’s Word truly is a lamp unto my feet, a light to shine the truth on, having complete cleansing and forgiveness of my sins that my soul held, and now I am free from those bondages. And I’m here to share the great news that you, my friend, can have this too.
Choosing Your Bible Carefully
One must be careful of what source they get their information from; one reason is preserving God’s Word as it was closely written in the scrolls. You know that childhood game we all played in elementary school, the telephone? If not, here’s a quick summary…
The telephone game has several people in a line or circle, and the first person whispers something to the second person, and they relay the message to the next. By time the message gets back to the last person, it has completely changed from the original message. Human error is inevitable, so if we have fewer people to relay the same message, the last person to receive it will get it more accurately.
Which brings me to the point, if the scribes were translated once into English, then why do we need additional versions that are in the same language, that has been altered?
There have been many cases where one word can make all the difference in the world, God’s Word is perfectly preserved and we should not continue to rewrite it over and over again. Take a cup of coffee and put it under a constant dripping faucet of water, at the end of the day, the coffee (truth) has been washed out and watered down.
God’s Word has been preserved for us to have a direct message from God; the messengers who wrote the accounts down in history were inspired to do so by God to preserve those events of history.
Do we have all the events written and preserved?
I don’t believe so, but that doesn’t discredit the parts that we do have. We have enough of the bible preserved for us to know important parts of who we are, who created our world, including us, and the divine adoption to become sons and daughters by accepting His precious gift of salvation to have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Why choose KJV over other versions of the Bible?
The telephone game example is one reason why I question other versions.
If the bible is written in the English Language, then why make multiple editions or versions?
I would only encourage you to do your research. Maybe in the future, if I’m led to, I may do a comparison of bible versions myself one day to put in a blog. I have in the past read where writers would compare side by side versions or chapters or the verses, and either the verse is misinterpreted, or important words are removed or added to completely change the message altogether. For this reason alone, it can be watered down over time, like the telephone game or that cup of coffee.
Each person has their perspectives and opinions, but God’s Word never changes. It is true that when we read and reread the bible that we may see knew things that God reveals to us or we are given an insight from God that we are later able to apply in our daily walk. This is the closest way I can explain how the Word of God is known as The Living Word.
God is very creative when He thought of you and me, and as wonderful as that is, it would be dangerous still not to carefully preserve the Word of God as it was originally written from Hebrew to English.
Every word has been perfectly placed where God has intended it to be for a reason. Let’s do our best to keep it preserved for generations to come!
Knowing WHO the Author is…
Do You Know the Author?
Too hard to read or understand…
I have heard; the King James Version is too hard to understand or read.
Well, we are letting our guard down in a manner by saying that. The 1611 King James Version is a bit more like old English, the way the early settlers spoke, or some may refer to as proper English.
We watch movies or read other literature such as Shakespeare and those are still preserved as they were in that era, so we truly stand without excuse to keep trying to attempt and have man rewrite God’s Word to please mankind or make it simpler to read as if reading a novel written by mankind, after all, isn’t this why we failed in the Garden of Eden in the first place?
So, in my humble opinion, I prefer to mold and become accustomed to God’s Word from the KJV than other versions, acclaimed simplified versions.
Knowing who the Author is of the message, God Himself, will be your ultimate interpreter to help you as you open His Word. If you ask Him to give you understanding, He is Faithful and Just to open your heart and give you understanding of His Written Word.
He wants us to understand it, it’s a Love letter that He wrote for us and to us. One of hope, faith and love.
I would not lead you in a direction that would be confusing, I have a burden to write such thoughts and give perspective to help open your mind and give you an invitation to do your due diligence. My ways are not always the right path or direction, but I am here as your friend to offer some perspectives of my own observations and share wisdom.
Iron sharpens iron, we are called to hold one another accountable and to challenge what is true. I am not going to disrespect anyone who is reading another version of the bible, in fact, I will be relieved, the bible is being read by another fellow Christian to deepen their understanding of God, to know the Author of the message it contains.
I believe all versions still have God’s inspiring message in them, but having the message closer to the one who first interpreted from the scrolls is what I prefer.
Quick Thoughts
Until next time, my dear friend, may this encourage you. As we get to know God, as we experience different paths, I pray that you truly find who He is, He is the Great I Am.
I pray you have hope and trust through His Salvation to become divinely adopted sons and /or daughters of the One True King, Almighty God the Father, God the Son-Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.
I encourage you to read and pray daily, you will begin to walk closer each day with the knowledge of His Written Word hidden within your minds and hearts. Everyone’s journey is unique, and so are the ways that God speaks to us individually.
I pray this has encouraged you, I hope you’re eager to start reading the bible. Begin anywhere, just start! If you are new to reading and studying the bible, may I suggest beginning with the book of John, or even the New Testament. The Old Testament is amazing especially all those amazing historical events starting in the beginning of time, but this may also be a place where you can read another time, first get to know the Author, and your depth of understanding the Old Testament when you do begin to read and study will give you so much understanding and clarity.
The Word is the Living Word of God, as we read, they are not ordinary words in a book; they are truly living. When we read them, those words begin to reflect within us and project into our daily journey.
God be with you, my new friend! I hope you enjoyed this. Don’t forget to subscribe so you will get exclusive content sent straight to your inbox for upcoming devotionals, Bible studies, weekly Bible verse reflections, and more! Plus, you receive a FREE Gift for just joining the Creative Journey community!
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Don’t miss the next bible study! Some Bible studies may take longer than others to get through, as I am led to explain in greater detail the verses that we come across. These blog posts are not created by AI or used with any AI-generated assistance. These comments are of my own and where God leads me to write. I am not a professional, just a southern wife, mother of four, and I have a desire to spread the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. I want you to know, He loves you and He desires to have a relationship with you. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to be lead by God and I feel that He has given me so much to share, I am not here for the fame or glory, but to get the message of Gods’ Love out to you, my new friend and so many others.God be with you!
