Consider These Things.....Before You Even Open Your Bible

                I always have a Bible on hand just in case I'm in a conversation with someone and the opportunity arises to offer them a copy of the Word of God. This is normal for Christians....as they might not always have Bibles on hand but would be more than willing to purchase one in order to give it away. It's easy.....relatively speaking....to give a Bible away.....but not so easy to explain to these folks how to read God's Word.
                Occasionally in these posts I come across a book that I am so confident in that I recommend it before I even read it. The blurbs on the book cover can help with this. Well....while at Alistair Begg's church's bookstore recently....I saw this small book....eighty-nine....7" by 4 1/2" pages....and the title....'BEFORE YOU OPEN your BIBLE....Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God's Word'....by Matt Smethurst. There are a lot of blurbs....by a lot of faithful Christians.....on this small book. I just checked and you can order copies at a wonderful Christian bookstore in Carlisle Pennsylvania....(if you cannot go to Alistair Begg's church)....by going to cvbbs.com....and this for $4.89 a copy....about the same price as the church bookstore but about 30% off the normal price!
               Enough preliminaries....the chapter titles tell the story....and that is all that I am going to do here.....give you those chapter titles.....so you can order the book quickly.....to read and then give to your children....or anyone!

Chapter One.......Approach Your Bible....PRAYERFULLY
Chapter Two.......Approach Your Bible....HUMBLY
Chapter Three.....Approach Your Bible....DESPERATELY
Chapter Four.......Approach Your Bible....STUDIOUSLY
Chapter Five.......Approach Your Bible....OBEDIENTLY
Chapter Six.........Approach Your Bible....JOYFULLY
Chapter Seven.....Approach Your Bible....EXPECTANTLY
Chapter Eight......Approach Your Bible....COMMUNALLY
Chapter Nine.......Approach Your Bible....CHRISTOCENTRICALLY 

               I know what I am going to read in this book....because every chapter title resonated with me. I've given a Bible to too many people over the years where I knew that they would open it and begin to read.....but I also had a strong feeling that all of the above chapter headings would likely be absent....thus they were going to rightfully be disappointed and never open it again.
               The author brings up a good point in the introduction as he writes that people are too often either intimidated by God's Word....where they think that they'll never be able to understand it.....or they are too familiar with it....where they think they know it all already!   
                Taking the advice in this book can be the difference between picking up the Bible to read....but being disappointed when you put it down because you feel no different....and reading and experiencing God's Word as if it were life itself!