Faith Under Cover

After years of handling, my Bible looks worn, torn, and forlorn. Layers of tape hold the leather cover together. Several times I've reattached pages to the spine with Elmer's® glue. Some sections of my Bible are so tattered and yellow, they're starting to resemble those ancient manuscripts copied and handed down by medieval monks! Jesus said his words will never pass away, but what should you do when your personal copy of God's Word starts to wear out?

Should I trade mine in for a new model? After all, my old weather-beaten Bible doesn't contain any fancy study guides and commentaries. Small faded letters on the side of the cover read simply, Holy Bible. Should I replace it with one of those nifty new ones for sale at the bookstore? Is there a new version niche-marketed for people like me? Surely there's a New Revised Devotional Spirit-Filled Study Bible for Middle-Aged Left-Handed Guys out there somewhere.

No. I want to hang on to this Bible. I like this Bible the way a baseball player prefers his broken-in ball-glove. The way a chef savors her favorite recipe. The way a carpenter favors his most-trusted hammer. It feels comfortable in my hand. I know where my favorite Scriptures appear on the page.

This Bible has been with me hundreds of times when I've stepped into the pulpit to preach. It's been on my desk in the early mornings when I've needed wisdom and strength from the Lord. Several pages contain scribbled notes and verses I've underlined. This Bible has gone with me on mission trips where interpreters have translated it into other languages while I taught in English. It went with me to the Holy Land where I pulled it from my backpack on top of Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments. I carried it up the slippery granite surface of the Areopagus on a windy day in Athens and read Paul's sermon from Acts 17. Sailing on the Sea of Galilee, I turned to the Gospels and read the story of Jesus walking on the water.

I won't throw away this Bible. I'll use it as long as I can, and then someday I'll pass it along to my children.

You can't judge a book by its cover, anyway—or a person. "Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account" (Hebrews 4:13). Some people appear stress-free. On the outside, they have all the bells and whistles life could offer; but underneath those impressive covers they're loaded with worry, insecurity, and fear. Some worriers even read a lot of Scripture, but somehow it brings them no peace. Is it possible to have a worn-out Bible, yet a shriveled-up soul?

On the other hand, other Christians look weary and worn on the outside, while under those tattered covers they possess amazing strength and peace. What is their secret? Inwardly, they are "being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16). They're learning to live by a faith that believes in the Lord intellectually, trusts in him emotionally, and follows him obediently. By faith they can live authentically—even fearlessly—because they don't need to impress anyone else, and they have nothing to cover up. God has already covered their sin and erased their shame. "Blessed is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered" (Psalm 32:1).

Considering what it's been through, my Bible has stood the test of time quite well. When we live by faith, the same can be said of you and me.