The week of Thanksgiving is also National Bible Week, the signature event of the National Bible Association. It has been celebrated every year since 1941. The first National Bible Week, scheduled for December 8-14, 1941, was kicked-off with an NBC radio program. A huge audience listened to the broadcast, Pearl Harbor having been bombed just hours before.
According to their website, www.nationalbible.org, the National Bible Association was created in 1940 by a group of business and professional people in New York City. Their purpose was to find hope for America while war raged in Europe. By 1941, these leaders agreed that the Bible, a proven source of hope and encouragement throughout history, should be the focus of their efforts. Their goal is to raise awareness of the Bible’s importance and relevance to our nation as a whole, as well as in the lives of individuals.
In order to commemorate this special observance, I’d like to share a very brief overview of the Bible, in the hopes that you will take seriously this source of comfort and inspiration.
The most important thing one can say about the Bible is that it has been given to us by God. Although given through human writers, it is fully truthful and authoritative, as God is its true author. God reveals His character to mankind through this sublime book, refreshing and strengthening people through it for centuries.
It is divided into two parts, whose central figure is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament anticipates His coming, revealing details about who the promised deliverer would be and what He would do. The New Testament reflects on His first coming and anticipates His second coming. The Gospels and the Epistles tell us what He accomplished, while Revelation describes the period when Jesus will reign as King over all nations forever.
We must seek to understand the books of the Bible as we would seek to understand any other books. It’s purpose is to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible correctly, so pray as you study. Ask God to illuminate your heart and mind as you study God’s Book.
You can celebrate National Bible Week with a YouVersion Bible App. It is available in more than 100 languages worldwide, including audio, and is 100% free. Download the app at https://www.youversion.com/mobile and make it a part of your daily life.
“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” (II Timothy 3:16-17).