Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105)

I recently found an old tote bag that I formerly carried to church with me. What I call a tote is really an organizer purse – designed with a divided section at the bottom to keep everything organized. A large section can hold a cell phone, and smaller sections easily store a medium-sized wallet, makeup, or whatever else one might like to store in a purse. I loved the concept but not the large size – hence, it ultimately became my church tote. I kept my phone, antibacterial gel (a must in a church where routine greetings are exchanged during the service), tissues, Bible, and journal for taking sermon notes. While I was excited to find the tote again, revisiting my old Bible was like stepping backward in time.

I’ve owned a lot of Bibles over the years. I have an American Patriot Bible with sections devoted to detailed descriptions of our Founders’ faith and what drove them to create fundamental documents like the Declaration of Independence. I also have several Daily Bibles – one that lists the scriptures chronologically and another with scriptural insights and life principles written by pastor and theologian Dr. Charles Stanley. Over the past three years, I’ve used a Kindle version of my One Year Bible that easily travels with me wherever I go.

All three daily Bibles allow me to read passages from the Old Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, along with sections from the New Testament. David and I finished reading the Bible together as a couple last year and are doing so again. Daily scriptural reading helps strengthen our marital bond while growing our understanding of God’s love and design for our lives.

David, too, has several Bibles. One is an old family relic from 1880 with over 500 historical etchings. Another is a large-print version given to him by a former subcontractor. The third and most meaningful is the Samaritan’s Purse Bible he received while we were serving with the charity in Ft. Myers, FL, after Hurricane Ian. I was the first to sign David’s Bible before we intended to go our separate ways. God had other plans, which allowed us to become best friends quickly, fiancés within two months, and ultimately married five months later. That timeline still astounds me.

No matter what Bible I read, God’s Word has always been integral to my life. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t relish reading scripture. I’ve always felt my Heavenly Father speaking to me through His Word. As often as I read it, I still feel the scripture coming alive, glowing with love, wisdom, and guidance. God’s words are precious to me and have guided my footsteps throughout my life. They gave me hope when everything else seemed lost and reminded me that my Creator loves me.

When I pulled out my old Bible from my church tote, the first thing that struck me was the embossed name on the front cover: my birth name. I’ve not used that name in several decades. Since high school, my name has changed four times: twice in bad marriages, once when God gave me my new name – Sara Victoria Christiansen – and a fourth time when I married my soul mate. Instead of being the victorious Christian daughter of the King, I am now the victorious daughter of the King who married my own King David. My name alone tells my testimony. Looking back, I can only wonder at God’s diverse plan for my life and all He has brought me through.

When my older sister gifted me with my first Bible, I could never have imagined the life I am living right now.

And yet, God knew what was in store for me. In a very real way, the favorite scriptures I wrote on the front cover of this great book describe my life:  

• “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)
• “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:10)
• “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles.” (Isaiah 40:31)
• “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

I have hand-written scripture references, and several pages of sermon notes in the back of my old Bible. Also tucked away beside the notes is a yellow sheet of paper with the scripture passage I read at my sister’s funeral: Romans 2: 35-39. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s Word is timeless and eternal. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17 also assures us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

From God’s mouth to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, my Heavenly Father’s love is forever imprinted in the universe and my soul. “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)

No matter my name, my life stage, or where I live, God’s Word has continually strengthened, guided, and encouraged me. “The joy of the Lord has always been my strength.” I am who I am because of my Heavenly Father’s love. I know that for a fact. After all, the Bible tells me so.