Why read the Bible at all?

It can be hard for people to open the Bible, especially in times when everything seems to be going wrong. And maybe you feel the same way.

I had just sat down with some friends who were telling me how one misfortune after another had hit them in recent days, and as I listened, I was internally screaming to God:

“What am I supposed to say to this? This is truly awful! Yes, the worst has already happened, I can’t just say that everything will be fine…”

But then, I opened my Bible anyway, though, usually in those moments, you don’t feel like it. And my eyes landed on the passage in 1 Samuel 30 where David was also in a tough situation. 😓

“When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. David’s two wives had been captured…” (1 Samuel 30:3-5 NIV)

If you keep reading, you’ll see that David’s men were really angry with him. 😤 And David could have asked himself:

“What am I supposed to say to this? This is truly awful! Yes, the worst has already happened, I can’t just say everything will be fine…”

But he didn’t. He didn’t turn away from God in disappointment. On the contrary, it says: “...But David found strength in the Lord his God.” (1 Samuel 30:6 NIV)

Closing the Bible means closing hope. Opening the Bible means finding hope! 📖

Now I had an answer for my friends. Not an “everything will be fine” answer, but inspired by what I had read, I was able to say: “It’s really not easy, I understand. But seek refuge in God, trust Him, He will give you the courage and strength to get through this time!” (see 1 Samuel 30:6).

And these aren’t empty words—it’s God’s Word!

You are a miracle!

Déborah