Years ago, I picked up a book for some light reading and the storyline was just strangely close to home—made me smile, made me cry, gave me hope. Okay, I will come clean—it was a Danielle Steele book, okay?!1 Yeah, it was a love story … there, you pulled it out of me. Every woman wants to be pursued, if you did not know that; every man wants to be admired, in case you did not know that.2 In college, I employed Cliff Notes to help (or is it cheat?) for my literature and culture classes, and I still often read book summaries to determine if I should read. So here is the summary of the Bible for you: God Comes … to you, to me God Comes … for you, for me ‘Thinking that the Bible could be best understood as the Greatest Love Story Ever. Seriously, the mighty King of the Universe creates the world and then makes human beings just to have relationship with them. Oh wait – it gets better: then he comes to meet with them. God came and walked and talked with Adam and Eve ‘in the cool of the Garden,’ Scripture says. We would have all talked (audibly, that is) with God, and walked (physically, that is) as a matter of course, if they had not given in to their pride. So, pick up your Bible – hold it in your hands, please. This book you hold is a tangible representation of God’s love for you as it contains the very words of God. Yes, men penned it—the Old Testament in Hebrew, the New Testament in Greek and Aramaic, but it was God-breathed, inspired by an all-mighty God.3 I love the King James’ rendering of how it was inspired: ‘holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’. That is to say, the reason the Bible holds together is because it was dictated from God to men. “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.”4 “If you would just tell me where to show up so I could hear what God has to say to me, then, I will,” she said to me. Friend, your Heavenly Father has told you he created you, he delights in you, he wants to talk with you, he prays for you, loves you unconditionally, has a plan and purpose for you in this life, and Heaven in the next. So do not wait for someone else to give you this life-changing good news, and by all means, don’t let some hater reduce God’s words to fable … read it for yourself. “For this is how God loved the world: [just how very much] He gave his one and only Son, [would you do such a thing?? I would not] so that everyone who believes in him [he is not willing to lose one person] will not perish but have eternal life. [live forever? you bet] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, [think of how Jesus loved folks] but to save the world through him.”5 [has’ you been saved? I ask] How would you know? Refer to the previous verse. BELIEVE. Tell Jesus, "I give you my life." For by grace you have been saved by faith.6 Greatest love story ever. Way better than Danielle Steele. In order to THRIVE now and forever, pick up your Bible and read it. What and where to start? Psalm 1, Psalm 139, John 14-15, Philippians 4, Colossians 1, 1 Corinthians 13 . . . chapters that ran through my mind as I was hearing someone ask the question ‘could you point me to something to read right now, something that won’t confuse or confound me?’ There you go. Once you’ve read these, get back to me, I’ll give you more. :) Christine Todd DiGiacomo 1 – Fine Things, Danielle Steele 2 - His Needs, Her Needs – Willard F. Harley, Jr. 3 – 2 Timothy 3.16-17, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+3%3A16-17&version=NIV&interface=print 4 – 2 Peter 1.20-21, NLT 5– John 3.16-17, NLT 6 – Ephesians 2.8a
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