On Getting a New Bible

My old Bible was not that old, and I had certainly not squeezed all the available truth from it. But the cover was coming off and making it a little difficult to deal with. I emailed the Thomas Nelson Company explaining what had happened and asked if there was any kind of policy related to re-binding their Bibles. To my surprise, a Thomas Nelson representative called me within 24 hours to get more information from me. When I told the rep that I had a wide margin New King James Version, with genuine disappointment in her voice she said, "Oh Mr. Mills, I am so sorry, but that particular edition has been discontinued. But we want to do what we can to make it right. Would you please go to our web site and find a Bible of comparable value, write down the product number, call me back, and I will send a new Bible to you right away.

I followed her instructions to the letter, and in just a couple of days, I had my new Bible in hand. Kudos to Thomas Nelson Publishers!

Now begins the long and arduous task of learning how to use my new Bible. Isn't it interesting how we know right where things are in our "old" Bible, but somehow things that have been in the same place for centuries are suddenly not there? I mean, I don't even think the old stand-by, John 3:16 is in the same place in this new Bible. One thing I do refuse to do, though, is transfer notes from the old Bible to the new one. I am sorely tempted, believe me! But I know that transfering notes tends to hinder me from getting new insight on old passages. So, in an attempt to stay fresh in Bible study, I will limp along, re-learning where familiar passages are, finding new ones (ones that I promise you were not there before), and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to me fresh. Perhaps that is what the Bible means when it says of itself, "The Word of God is living and active!"