A Living Document

<p>In memorializing his grandfather&rsquo;s work, Peter Croft wrote, &ldquo;It is my deepest desire for the person who picks up their Bible, whatever version they use, to not only understand but <em>experience</em> the scriptures as <em>living</em> documents, just as relevant, dangerous, and exciting now as they were those thousands of years ago.&rdquo; Peter&rsquo;s grandfather was J.B. Philips, a youth minister who undertook a new paraphrase of the Bible in English during World War II in order to make it come alive to students at his church.</p> <p>Like Phillips&rsquo; students, we face barriers to reading and experiencing Scripture, and not necessarily because of our Bible translation. We may lack time, discipline, or the right tools for understanding. But Psalm 1 tells us that &ldquo;Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord&rdquo; (vv. 1&ndash;2). Meditating on Scripture daily allows us to &ldquo;prosper&rdquo; in all seasons, no matter what hardship we are facing.</p> <p>How do you view your Bible? It is still relevant with insight for living today; still dangerous in its call to believe and follow Jesus; still exciting in the intimate knowledge of God and humanity that it imparts. It&rsquo;s like a stream of water (v. 3) that provides the sustenance we need daily. Today, let&rsquo;s lean in&mdash;make time, get the right tools, and ask God to help us experience Scripture as a living document.</p>