A Living Document

Hey there, and welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Today's reading, titled A Living Document, was written by Karen Pimpo. In memorializing his grandfather's work, Peter Croft wrote, It is my deepest desire for the person who picks up their Bible, whatever version they use, to not only understand, but experience the Scriptures as living documents, just as relevant, dangerous, and exciting now as they were those thousands of years ago.

Peter's grandfather was J. B. Phillips, a youth minister who undertook a new paraphrase of the Bible in English during World War II in order to make it come alive to students at his church. Like Phillips' students, we face barriers to reading and experiencing Scripture, and not necessarily because of our Bible translation. We may lack time, discipline, or the right tools for understanding, but Psalm 1 tells us that blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord. Meditating on Scripture daily allows us to prosper in all seasons, no matter what hardships we're facing. How do you view your Bible? It's still relevant with insight for living today, still dangerous in its call to believe and follow Jesus, still exciting in the intimate knowledge of God and humanity that it imparts. It's like a stream of water that provides the sustenance we need daily. Today, let's lean in, make time, get the right tools, and ask God to help us experience Scripture as a living document.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is Psalm 1. Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither, whatever they do prospers. Not so the wicked.

They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous, for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Let's pray. Dear Lord, we thank you for the Scriptures and for the wisdom and the direction we receive through your Spirit as we study your Word. Thank you for giving us an inside look at how you were at work in the lives of those in the pages of the Bible, and the encouragement we have in knowing that you will do the same for us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.