Messages have been written on many mediums throughout human history. We have seen engravings on cave walls, SOS messages in sand, declarations on papyrus, laws on stones, stories on paper.
Nowadays, the most prevalent means of getting information is through electronics. We read on our computers throughout the day, enjoy books on e-readers, and gather news and messages from cell phones. It’s quick! It’s convenient!
Children are growing up in this type of world. They often receive school lessons through a computer, do homework on a computer, are entertained by a computer, and connect using a computer. This has created a sense of urgency and a felt need for electronics, especially handheld ones.
Nowadays, using a cell phone is the easiest way to find supposed answers. It is also a typical way people read from a Bible. It used to be common practice to bring a paper Bible to church and keep it on a nightstand for reading at home. Before people had a personal copy of the Bible, memorized passages where carried in their minds.
Engaging with a digital copy of the Bible has benefits. For one, it’s on your cell phone, which is already in your pocket. It’s a quick way to look up verses and read the commentary. In some countries, audio Bibles are distributed because it is too dangerous to have a paper copy of the Bible. This can also be helpful for those who are illiterate.
There are many reasons, however, to choose to read the Bible in paper form.
Reading from a paper Bible is a visual and tangible way to consider this practice sacred. Doing this sets the time apart from using the common computer, which is punctuated with visual distractions. We are preparing for a special endeavor.
Unlike reading on a screen, a paper Bible allows much more of the passage or book to be seen at one time. Verses can easily be read in the full context and seen as part of a whole book. The weight, so to speak, of God’s Word is felt when it is held in our hands.
A paper Bible provides opportunity to flip back and forth between books, chapters, and verses. Studying and referencing and comparing God’s truths in a paper Bible uses senses not afforded by a computer.
Although there are many Bible translations, the paper Bible you hold in your hands will have the same content as long as you have it. Unlike a Bible online, a paper Bible does not change at whim or with ease through online edits and cultural shifts.
Parents, consider the value of your children engaging with a paper Bible. Give them a copy of their own to get familiar with, read, and learn from with you. Encourage them to read from their Bible as a meaningful time to connect with God and learn his truths. Better yet, model this for them and do it with them.
Grow your faith when you learn and apply what you read in the Bible!
Use a Heart Training workbook to get in your Bible daily for reading and applying God’s truths.