It’s time to go to church,” my husband said. “I’ve got your Bible.”
I took a look at the blue Bible, with its cracked spine and frayed edges and replied, “No, not that one.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I can’t take that Bible to church. Grab my burgundy one,” I said.
“Why can’t you take this one? This is the one you read everyday.”
“That’s why I can’t take it. Look at it,” I said. “It’s written all over with personal prayer requests and answers to prayer. Not to mention the fact that it has all kinds of loose pages filled with prayers spilling out of it.”
“Yes, this is a mess,” he admitted, putting my trusted companion back on the bedside table.
Looking back now on that conversation of years ago, I recall how many times I’ve contemplated using a newer Bible for personal quiet time. But I don’t want to miss out on all the spiritual foundations and rich times with God recorded in my old one. This Bible my mother gave me in college has become more of a spiritual journal to me.
Whenever I am going through some new trial or battle, I can count on God to help me flip open to just the right page. Whenever I am crying out to God for help, there has usually been some similar situation already marked in the margins of my beloved friend. Many times I will flip to a scripture “unknowingly,” only to find a notation from many years ago that I’d forgotten that is perfect for my current situation.
For instance, when I went through a difficult work situation, I flipped through my Bible for God’s perspective on the matter and came across a verse in Psalms that was marked six years before. I saw the individual’s name in the margin along with a date when the prayer was answered. I’d forgotten the situation until that moment, but God hadn’t. He directed me to that scripture and reminded me that He is here now just as He was then.
A few weeks ago I came across a space-saving idea in a book I was reading on prayer. Since there are so many good scriptures that have spoken to me over the years and so many I like to refer back to often, I’ve started using sticky-notes. The small notes allow me to write down my prayers and stick them next to the accompanying scripture without taking up anymore of the precious margin space I have left in my well-worn Bible. When the answer to prayer comes, and it always does, I can pull the note out and adhere it in my “real” prayer journal.
Today, when I asked God what to do about an imminent project which proved to be daunting in the past, He directed me to Isaiah 43:10. The words, “that you may know and believe Me” resonated with my spirit. God wanted me to believe that He will bring me through better this time than I came through in the past, if only I will believe Him.
Just across the page was another scripture already circled—Isaiah 43:19: “Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth.” God was speaking to me again and immediately I knew His truth.
“When Lord?” I asked. “I’ve already tried everything I know.”
The answer I received is “now.” God is going to do the new thing now. He wouldn’t do it in the past because then I would have given the credit to one of my ideas. But now, as I come to Him completely weary of the situation and out of my ideas, He can work.
I take out a small blue sticky-note and write today’s date and the situation. Placing it in the Bible, I know it won’t be long before His answer will come. When it does, I’ll take out the sticky note, place it in my journal, and make a note of the answer to prayer.
Perhaps with this new space-saving idea, I might even consider using a newer, less worn Bible for my daily quiet time while still writing the simple answer and date in my tried and true friend. To God be the glory for increasing my understanding of Him and giving me new ways with which to commune with Him.
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