Most people I know fall into one of two categories when it comes to Bible Ownership:
1. Get a new Bible every time a new one hits the shelves at Lifeway. Carry different Bibles for different occasions. Take the monster-sized one to Bible study because it has all the references and gives you the appearance of being “hard core”. Take the compact one to work since it’s a bit more discreet. Take the cute brown one that matches your shoes to church on Sunday…because, let’s face it, you just want to look good on Sunday morning.
-OR-
2. Never, ever, ever under any circumstances get a new Bible. All Bibles should look like they’ve been through both the washing machine and dryer. Pages should be crumpled, ripped, and falling out. Binding should be broken. Whole chapters should be missing, and the actual text should be very difficult to read underneath years of handwritten notes. The worse the Bible looks, the more holy the owner. Obviously.
I got a new Bible this week. This kind of a big ordeal. I’m not one to hold onto Bibles for years after the term ”wear and tear” becomes a vast understatement…but I don’t part easily with the familiar layout and tear-stained pages. My Bible holds the picture of my life for a given season, with hearts and stars and tattered pages where God has shown me the most.
So here is the new Bible: 
I’ve spent almost every waking moment for the past week transferring my notes into this Bible. It just doesn’t feel like mine until the pages are full of my own writing. I’m almost through with it, and I’ll be glad when I’m done. It is a labor of love. But a labor worth every single minute.
I don’t always love the Word like I should. I love it when I find a hidden treasure in the Hebrew or Greek or when I see the connection between Old Testament stories and New Testament doctrines. I love it when it speaks so clearly to my life situation. I love it when it offers intellectual answers to tough faith questions. But I struggle to love it in my day-to-day like I want to. I want to know all the stories, understand all the history, and memorize most of it before I die…but I just don’t value it in my day-to-day like those desires really require. I have a hard time studying it diligently or digging as deep as I should. I go through seasons where I can’t get enough of it…but more of my life is spent on the other end of the spectrum. I’m constantly praying for God to change my “want to” in this area. I want to want the Word. I want to desire it. I want to want to live the reality of Sola Scriptura in my life.
As I’ve labored over the notes in my new Bible this week, I’ve gotten a glimpse of what that might be like. I was overwhelmed at just how amazing Scripture really is. I couldn’t get enough of it. Every tough Truth cut to my heart, and every Promise held fresh hope for my day. Even with the little bit that I know, I was overwhelmed by how intricate and beautiful and perfectly orchestrated the whole thing is. And it made me want more. I want to know more. I want to study more. I want to treasure it more.
Undoubtedly, my Bible is always a great tangible presence in my life. I literally cling to it at times, holding it close to my chest or laying my head down on its pages as if I were literally breathing in its hope. And reading it is definitely a key aspect of my day-to-day life. But this time around – for the duration of ownership for this particular Bible - I’m praying that God will allow it to really capture my heart. That it would really become the air I breathe and the satisfaction I know. That Sola Scriptura would become a reality both in my “want to” and in my day-to-day. That I would literally be captivated by the breath of God in its pages…
I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word (Ps. 119:15-16).
That was a great post, Jenn. How I pray that Sola Scriptura will become more real in my life as well. Thanks for the reminder and the passionate pursuit of God’s word!
YAY for you getting a new Bible!! Did you get ESV? Just curious. That is so awesome that you rewrote all your notes! Love you and thanks for such an encouraging post!
Yep – I definitely got an ESV. No more gender-neutral God or politically correct “brothers and sisters” from the TNIV. That was the entire reason for a Bible upgrade. Ha.
Jenn Lockerman.. I miss you so much darling. I just found your blog and am not going to stalk your blog also.. i’m not going to lie. How in the world are you doing? I pray that things are going really well for you. Guess what.. I have the same bible.. exactly– and I love love it.. i’m still trying to fill it up with notes myself. I was really excited when at our foreigner fellowship (for fellow single m’s like me) we studied out of 2 John.. I mean I felt pretty special to have notes in 2 John.. hehhehe.. love you girl and am praying for you
One of my favorite posts by your Jenn. Great stuff. I have the new ESV on order. Comes out in October I believe. I can’t wait!
God is so good, huh?! You made me reminisce over my own journey through the Word with Jesus.
We don’t have internet yet at the new place so I haven’t been online in about 4 days. anyways, i had an interesting chat with Jesus about the Word and knowing it this morning. I’ll have to fill you in. That’ll be a phone conversation; it’s too private at this point to blog about. Anyways, it’s good stuff! Cheesey as it may be, He melted my heart with it this morning.
And about the ESV, my Greek prof was on the translating team for it. Pretty rad, huh?
Great post, Jenn!! I LOVE your new Bible. I had not even seen one like that. I would have bought it for the color alone. So pretty!! And I love the space in the margins. I am wondering how big/heavy it is?? Good for you getting everything copied over. I have the same Bible that my last Sunday School class at FBC gave me and I won’t part with it. It has been re-covered once. Every Beth Moore Bible study has been marked with a different color pencil (btw I am running out of those – what will I use for Esther???) Of course I do have lots of other translations. Three have already been picked out that will go to the kids. I had to get a new Bible, too, and it was on my blog at almost the same time you showed yours. The churches here use King James of all things and I didn’t bring one. Loved the mint green color that Rick found. I was determined not to get a black or brown.
More seriously your thoughts on loving the Word more were very convicting to me. Honestly I am just not a scholar so digging deep is very much a struggle for me and I find I have to keep some study going or I end up only praying during my Quiet Time. I will join you in the prayer of letting it capture my heart! LOVE
Hey Cindy – My Bible isn’t very big or heavy. It’s hardback (the pink stuff is a cloth-ish covering), and it’s pretty compact. Probably about 6″x7″ or something along those lines. It’s about two inches thick. I’m obsessed with the margins. I can’t really use a Bible without at least decent margins for writing in, but I’ve never had one with quite this much space. It’s amazing – makes me want to fill up every line.
WHAT NOW SADUCEES?!?!?!?!
make sure that one makes it into the new Bible…
[...] 6, 2009 by jennlockerman Sorry I haven’t been posting consistently. This is becoming a greater reality in my life, and I would never apologize for that. My time priorities [...]
Always good – and uplifting to hear your thoughts…on anything!!
Have an incredibly blessed day!!
BethB