One faithful day, a dear young girl and I headed out for a little summer outing. Along the way, our route took us across the Third Mainland Bridge, the longest bridge in West Africa.
For me, this had become a regular route. I had gone through it so many times that it no longer felt special.
Stay with me! It was just a bridge, right? Well, a bridge that happened to take me closer to wherever I was going.
As we approached the bridge, I mentioned to her that we were about to cross the Third Mainland Bridge, and something surprisingly happened.
Would you like to take a guess?
Oh yes, you must be right!
Her whole face lit up.
“Wow!” she said.
For her, it was new. Maybe she had crossed it before, but this time, she was actually seeing it. She was seeing it with fresh eyes, and suddenly, something she might never have paid much attention to became something fascinating.
That moment stayed with me, and it made me think about the Bible, the greatest book of all time.
Many of us have had access to the Bible for as long as we can remember. We grew up hearing it read, quoted, preached, and prayed with so often that it became part of the background of our lives.
Then I became curious.
Why couldn’t I see what this little girl found so fascinating?
And I realised: familiarity.
I had become so used to the bridge that I no longer looked at it with any sense of wonder. I saw it mainly from the standpoint of commuting. It had become a means to an end.
And I began to wonder:
Could the same thing happen with the Word of God?
Could some of us have become so familiar with the Word that we are no longer excited to open it, read it, study it, and allow it to transform us?
Paul told Timothy:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15
We can become so accustomed to having the Word that we stop seeing what we actually have.
We forget that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17).
Let’s look at the life of Jesus and see the posture of His heart regarding the Word.
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He responded with Scripture: “It is written…” (Matthew 4:1-11)
He didn’t respond with something new. He stood on what had already been written.
Yet we can read the same Scripture so many times that we know the words but forget their weight. We can quote a verse without stopping to consider what it means, or allowing the Holy Spirit to give us light and help us understand what God is saying and how His Word should shape our lives.
It is possible to have the Bible open right before us and still fail to truly see it.
Scripture was never meant to be something we simply read and close. It is truth we meditate on, pray with, stand on, and live by.
So I encourage you: don’t just read the Word the same way going forward.
Meditate on it. Pray with it. Most importantly, live by it and be led by it.
Stand on it. It is a solid foundation.
Finally, friend, what has God said concerning you?
One of the best ways to find out is through His written Word, the Bible.
When you study His Word with a sincere and genuine heart, He reveals His truth concerning your life, your purpose, your circumstances, and the things you’re trusting Him for.
My friend, let His Word lead you. Let it shape your thoughts, strengthen your faith, guide your decisions, and influence how you see your life.
Don’t let familiarity overrule what should always amaze you about God and His Word.
So, here’s where you can start:
Open the Bible like it’s the first time.
Read it with wonder. You don’t have to rush it. Stay there. Study the Word until it takes root in you and becomes evident in the way you live.
Speak the Word with faith.
And live by it.
Take action. Pick up your Bible now and read it like your life depends on it.
Because, in more ways than we realise, it does depend on His Word.
Jesus loves you.
Light’s On 