Give me the Bible–

holy message shining,

Thy light shall guide me

in the narrow way.

Precept and promise,

law and love combining,

‘Til night shall vanish

in eternal day.

We love the Bible. We love the Bible because of its author—2 Timothy 3:16. We love the Bible because it connects us with its author—1 Corinthians 2:16. We love the Bible for the blessings associated with its reading and keeping—Psalm 119:2. We love the Bible because it shows us how to live—Psalm 119:105. We love the Bible because it teaches us about comfort and security in God—2 Corinthians 1:3-4. We love the Bible because it teaches us about Heaven—John 14:1-4.

All these teachings are loved because we love the Lord. We learn to love him from the Bible’s teaching (Romans 10:17), but the more we learn of him the more we love him. The more we love him, the more we love his Word.

We aren’t alone in our love of the Bible. Paul himself loved God’s Book. He wrote to Timothy, “bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). Even as he was helping to complete the role of inspired documents, Paul wanted to read, what was at that time, his Bible. What an example for us! If Paul needed to and wanted to read his Bible, we should as well.

So we read and study the Book. We may not love reading for reading’s sake. But because we love the Lord, we cannot help but to read His Book.