I love them all and use all of them. When I'm not getting the gist of a passage, I break out The Message for a simpler, clearer understanding. When I want to know what the actual word-for-word translation is (and since I don't know Greek or Hebrew), I'll go to Young's Literal Translation on Bible Gateway. To compare various translations, I'll go to the Parallel Bible. To try to comprehend unfamiliar traditions or practices I read about in one version, I'll read the same passage in the Cultural Studies Bible. When I'm feeling more creative, I break out the Journaling Bible. The Bible I use most often is a S U P E R G I A N T P R I N T NIV. I once got a comment from someone who saw my Bible: "Geez, I can read your Bible's print two pews back!" Thankfully, with my poor close up vision, so can I! Love that super giant print. My favorite version is the New Revised Standard. I love the way it reads and am happy with the accuracy of the translation.
Here's the thing, all three of my toothpastes all do the same thing. They clean my teeth. All three markers have ink. All three eyeshadow palettes highlight what the Lord already gave me. And likewise, all these Bibles say the same thing. Truly. They may vary in the way they say things, but honestly it's all the same. When I used to sell Bibles at a Christian store and people would ask me what the best kind of Bible was, my comment was and always is the same: "A well-read one." I would tell them what each version had in it, but would always tell them they couldn't go wrong with any of the versions. It's all the Word of God. Just be sure when you get one (or in my case, several), you read it! Read it, read it, read it. We live a in a topsy-turvy world that is switching up the moral compass more and more each day, so if there was ever a time to be in the Word of God, now's the time.
Sunday, a 5-year-old friend of mine was presented with a Bible. He clutched it to his chest throughout the worship service and every once and awhile flipped through the pages. After worship, he ran up to my pastor husband who had handed it to him to thank him for it. His mother told me later he carried it with him everywhere that day and told everyone about his new Bible. That evening he slept with the Bible and asked his Mom to read a chapter to him in the morning. Then asked if she would read him a second chapter later. Oh that we would all be as excited to have the Word in our possession and read it. Glory to the Lord above!
I have a friend who recently asked about an old Bible she had. She's worn the pages out, some are even falling out, and the binding has broken. She asked what she should do with it cause she didn't feel right throwing out the Word of God. We texted back and forth about it, but you know what the best part of that is? It was worn out! She had gotten a new one to begin to wear it out.
My toothpastes will be carefully squeezed from the bottom until they're empty. My markers will be used till they dry out. My eyeshadow pallettes will eventually be brush-swiped clean. And my Bibles, God-willing, will get to the point where will pages will fall out and binding will crack. The Good news about the Good News is, I can always pick up another Bible (God bless America for that! In some countries that is not the case). But I plan on reading and rereading and rereading the Living Word of God over and over again till I die in our Precious Father's efforts to clean me up, straighten me out and bring me ever closer to Him. And work on being ... you know ... less-sensitive, white as snow and cavity-free.
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