I guess it might seen strange to some, but I read an ancient text daily and feel it brings calm, peace, wisdom and insight into many areas of my life. This has been my practice and my discipline for many years and I continue to see multiple benefits every day.

The Bible is actually a library of 66 books, written by approximately 44 authors over a period of about 1500 years. The 39 books of the Old Testament were composed between 1400 and 400 B.C., the 27 books of the New Testament between A.D. 50 and A.D. 100.

The Bible gives me the best explanation for sin, suffering, and death, the three biggest challenges we face during our life.

How much do you know about the Bible?

If you’ve never read it, it’s not really a book and therefore it isn’t always the best idea to start at the beginning and read through to the end – although many people certainly have tried that method.

I usually suggest that people start by reading the books describing Jesus’ life, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which you will find at the beginning of the section called New Testament.

I like to read from several different books at the same time, which gives a larger perspective on the work of God over time.

When the different manuscripts were written they were not divided into verses or chapters, but these were added later to make referencing the works easier. Many times I will read one chapter from a variety of books each day rather than reading large sections of one book.

However you approach reading the Bible, it is valuable and helpful. There are many parts that can be difficult to understand, but as with any ancient manuscript, repeated reading brings clarity.

I encourage you to read the Bible. You’ve probably heard many references to it over the years, but have you ever read it for yourself?

We all need more wisdom in our lives, James, the brother of Jesus, told us about wisdom:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

 

Day 3 Encouraging people to Seek Jesus: 30 ways in 30 days

• Day 2: Knowledge of God and Blessing
• Day 1: Does it make sense to seek Jesus in 2014?