By Jenni Ingram
Member, First Baptist Church, Gantt
I have a grandmother’s journal that I purchased for my granddaughter, Sara. Inside it asks for information such as our family tree, her birth statistics, her favorites as a child and our history. It also has pages that ask me to give her advice on certain subjects such as raising a family, dealing with life, handling finances and so on.
In reading the Book of James, it dawned on me that in many ways the Holy Bible — no matter what version you use — is God’s journal to us.
When I was teaching, my favorite acronym was B-I-B-L-E, which stands for B-Basic, I-Instructions, B-Before, L-Leaving, E-Earth. I am not God, nor do I claim to be all-wise or perfect, but essentially that is what I hope my journal will give to Sara as she goes through her life and maybe even be passed down to her children. On several pages I have listed my favorite Bible verses, how I interpreted those verses and how I applied it to my life.
I believe this is what God wants us to do with His journal to us. Our lineage is listed in there, what struggles our ancestors faced in order to live a life acceptable to God and finally what reward we have waiting for us. I believe God gave us this to be a comfort to us when we are in pain and struggling, a guide for us to navigate the rough seas of life and an owner’s manual of sorts to live a life that is a legacy for others to follow to salvation.
Won’t you read the owner’s manual with me? And yes, along with the journal I will give Sara my old worn-out Bible that has guided me.
Share with others: