According to Hebrews 4:12, God’s Word is “alive and active”. So what does that mean?

Quite simply, it means the Bible is fundamentally different to any other book. For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, the Bible desires to be known, dares us to chase after it, invites us to connect with it, and challenges us to be immersed in it. Like a person, the Bible is complex, mysterious, dynamic and difficult to comprehend. It is not a book we can fully fathom or dissect. In fact it takes decades, if not a lifetime, to get to know. Which is why we need to view the Bible relationally – as a ‘friend’. And as with all friends, we must recognize that the Bible has emotions, layers, nuances, diversity, personality.

The Bible is much more than words on a page! It’s a friend who speaks to us – directing, challenging, comforting, coming alongside. One committed to our wellbeing – deserving of our time. A friend to be respected, trusted, known. A friend to be pursued, listened to and loved.

So don’t use the Bible for your own ends. Don’t manipulate its words, label, objectify, view it as an inanimate object or reduce it to something to be studied. Don’t dismiss it, ignore it, spurn it, disrespect it, trivialize it or do anything that would treat the friendship lightly. Why? Because the Bible is God Himself speaking to us . . .

© Scripture Union Canada 2014