The Bible is God's word to us.
The Bible is GOD'S word.
We have God's word in written form. The God of the universe has given us his word so that we can know him better. I often forget or look past this fact. It's something we all know, but I don't think it really registers. I was reminded of this a couple of nights ago when my team we huddled in a hut in Northern Thailand. We have been prayer walking in villages in Laos and now remote villages in Thailand. We were invited to one house for a cook out of sorts. It was probably 45 degrees outside and there were 20 or so of us in this 89-year-old woman's hut.
In the hut the Christians in the village all came with their Bibles. They sang hymns that have been translated into Thai. They asked us to sing some songs in English, which was funny because other than Dave (who plays guitar) I don't think any of us is particularly musically gifted. When we finished they all sat and told us how beautiful they thought it was! Ha. The thing that really stuck out to me about the Christians in this village was the way they held and read their Bibles.
The Christians in this village held their Bibles how I think everyone should. They held their Bibles like it is a privilege, like it's something precious, like it is the word of God. When they would read they all read every word along with the pastor slowly studying every word. I have never seen anyone hold a Bible the way they did.
That night was an amazing picture of community. There were people who were learning, singing, praying, and fellowshipping together crammed in a freezing hut on a Saturday night. It definitely made me check myself and my idea of what church looks like. I wish everyone could have seen what I got to be a part of on that Saturday night. It really made me miss being a part of a church family.
I would like to encourage everyone to take a step back and appreciate the little blessings we have everyday. Look and see how the Lord is faithful and how he provides. Look for reasons to praise him even when it isn't the first thing that pops into your head.
