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What Is the Bible?
Many years ago a poor farmer lost his farm
because of debt. He managed to live by working for other farmers, and
during that time he also miraculously saved enough money to buy another
little piece of ground. It was a piece of ground that had not been
farmed, and it was full of weeds. But he was a confident man, a good
farmer, and he could raise crops on any kind of land. When he tried to
plow, however, he found out why it had never been farmed - it was filled
with rocks. Believing he had
made a serious mistake, he was filled with despair.
One day while walking in his new field with a
friend, he stooped down and picked up a few of the many stones and
handed them to his friend, saying, "See, no one can raise crops on this
land. It is worthless!" The other man looked at the stones very
intently and then said, "Do you know what this stone is that you have
just given me? It is a precious gem in unpolished form. You did not
recognize it. This land you consider worthless may be worth far more
than you think!"
When the farmer learned to identify precious
stones and gems, he found that the stony field he had purchased was
filled with hidden treasures- the field was covered with expensive rare
stones and jewels. All he had to do was learn how to recognize them,
polish them, and sell them. And that he did quickly. Soon the poor
farmer became a wealthy man.
The Bible you have in your hand may appear at
first to be a "stony field."
It is a
challenging book, but it is filled with rich spiritual treasures. These
spiritual treasures are truths that can bring peace, joy, power, and new
purpose to your life now. But far more important, these spiritual
treasures are the foundation on which God can create a new life in you
that will never die. This eternal life, as the Bible calls it, is of
God. "Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in His
name, He gave the right to become the children of God-children born not
of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born
of God" (John 1:12-13). As you study the Bible and learn how to
discover its spiritual treasures, you will realize the beautiful meaning
of this statement. This spiritual treasure is stated in other words in
the Bible. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
His name" (John 20:31).
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Source: The Family Devotional Study Bible
The Zondervan Corporation
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