I must confess something. I lost my Bible on Sunday. And here is the big confession: I didn’t even notice until this morning.
In my defense, I will also throw out the fact that I have been doing all of my Bible study this week using online tools. I don’t even know what made me look for it this morning since I will probably continue to do it online. In a slip of the tongue and good theology, I just mentioned to Juliet and Tim, “I don’t know what made me even think about not knowing where it was. I didn’t need it for anything.” Oops. I guess I need to heed those words of wisdom in Proverbs and James about holding my tongue. 
But I did learn a valuable lesson that I will pass on to you: Hold onto your Bible.
In all seriousness, Psalm 119:31 says, “I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord, do not let me be put to shame.”
The entire 119th chapter of Psalms gives us lots of reasons to hold onto our Bibles. Memorizing the Word of God helps us obey God (v. 11). It offers us guidance in every area of life (v. 105). It gives us stability and hope (v.89).
One of Paul’s most famous pieces of leadership advice to Timothy is found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. He was basically telling Timothy to hold onto his Bible and to keep it as the standard in his teaching. As leaders, the Bible must be the standard for our lives and the teachings of our groups.
The story has a happy ending. I found it in the bag where I left it. I think I will keep it with me all day today!
Psalm 119 is one of my favorite passages of the Bible…I am glad that you found yours! Even with access to online study guides and other Bibles, there is just something about holding on to a well-used, familiar Bible. It is like a faithful friend.
Sarah O.
January 19th, 2006