The Paradox of the Holy Book

‘This book of law shall not depart from thy mouth , study it day and night and you must observe to do all that is written in it then you can make your way prosperous and have good success’- God’s admonition to Joshua.

I was at a girl friend’s house sometime ago. I played with her siblings. She really had wonderful siblings . But I was very closed to one of them called Francis. Others include: Peace a vibrant beautiful young girl and Emmanuel a hyperactive young boy who plays a lot. I spent sometime with them that Sunday after their brother Francis had just received his first Holy Communion. While we were playing all of a sudden the youngest of them all Emmanuel threw a question to me. He asked me ‘Uncle Cyprian, can you tell me the most sold book in the world?’ I was pissed off! I must tell you. But God saved me. I thought carefully and replied 'the bible' and there was an applause for their 'uncle'

Though, I never went further in analyzing how much the great book called the bible had sold. I only made sure I defended myself. I created the impression that their ‘uncle’ was a bit vast. But this fact and figures have been a paradox to me; the bible being recorded as the most sold book, and the fact that only a few percent of those buyers ever read them throughout their life time. In my first Semester in the University of Lagos, when examinations were approaching, I and my other friends decided to visit the Library for the first time. As we walked into one of the library extensions in the University of Lagos, what we saw was flabbergasting. We saw mammoth crowd of students burying their heads into their test books. Then, in surprise, my good friend Karl max said to me ‘How serious these students are. How I wished they could read their bibles with such pain and desire’.  I stood there, just behind him and began to ponder over what he had just said. He never knew that what he said left an impact in my life. I was ashamed with myself. It was then; I realized that I did not even have a bible let alone studying it.

I did not writing this article to create an impression that I later bought a bible and finished it over time.No! My sole objective is to uncover the paradox behind the bible. I write this to expose the mess you and I have gotten into. Let us face it! What actually went wrong?  Hitherto, the bible is the fastest selling book in the world. As I write this article God laid it in my heart that the fact that the bible is the fastest selling book does not mean that it is the most read book. As He open my eyes, I saw that I had kept mine somewhere distant in the house without bothering to study it. I saw that many people had bought theirs and dumped it somewhere in the house. I saw that many of us only look for our bibles on Sunday mornings alone. I saw that many of us only care to look for our bibles only when we have a bible study to attend. God open my mind to the fact that I and many other young people do not place premium on His words.

And we cry all day. ‘God what are you trying to say’ ‘God give me good success!’ ‘God save me from the unseen forces and stronghold of this world!’ ‘God save my parents, give them long life!’ ‘God give my life a meaning’ ‘God why have you made me’ but we have failed to realize that all they we want to conquer this world and to live a fulfilled life is hidden in this holy book. John Quincy Adams said

 

"So great is my veneration for the BIBLE that the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be
my hope that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society" 

Haven’t you considered that fact that many students can finish reading the whole of their test books cover to cover and can hardly read through the New Testament! Many young ladies can read through over 500 paged novels and still find it boring to read 3 chapters of the books of Psalms! This applies to me and as well as many young people out there. I had struggle to read this great book. I began to ask my self why it was so. God laid it again in my heart that our adversary Satan was responsible for it’

The devil’s plan is to hinder the sons and daughters of God form tapping into the treasures of the word of God.

This is the sole reason why he conjures fatigue and disinterest in us whenever we pick up the bible to read. This is the same reason why he confuses us to believe that there is still time. I can still tell you that whenever I carry the bible to study, a kind of weakness, sleep from God’s know where always hinder me. I have come to believe that these are the works of our adversary the devil. The devil understands that the moment we know the word of God he and his cohorts are in peril so he fights assidously  to hinder us. The devil giving us a chance to study the mind of God is like setting a slave free. In ancient times, books and educational materials are kept away from slaves. This is because the moment a slave understands the truth he would fight for his freedom so their master can give them everything but never will they give them education. This is why the holy book recounted:

‘Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free’

Nevertheless, it is our warfare to fight the devil off. Because the word of God has made me understand that I am ‘no longer a slave but a friend’ to God then I must act and behave live one. We fight off the devil by saying forceful and fervent prayers. The bible observed ‘casting down every thought and imaginations that raises itself against the knowledge of God’ It also records ‘the violence takes it by force’

Without mincing words, The Godhead have made us understand that his word are embodiment of great secret to the treasures of life. This word of God is what we need to wage wars again principalities and powers and against familiar spirits, to activate success in our lives, to live a good and righteous life, to save ourselves from untimely death. The word of God gives wisdom and understanding. The word of God is what we need to subdue and control the elements of this world.

‘To rise to significant and glory in this world we need the word of God’

I want to use this medium to express my heartfelt concern to you and myself that it is high time we turn to the word of God in order to lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life. God bless you as you decide to make it a custom to study the word of God and travel deep into its truth to rise above our limitations.

  

 Phillip Brooks
"The BIBLE shows how the world progresses.  It begins with a garden, but ends with a holy city"

 

Henry Ward Beecher
"The BIBLE is G-D's chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where
the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks and bars"

 The Defender
"Other books were given for our information,  the BIBLE was given for our transformation"

 Ulysses S. Grant
"Hold fast to the BIBLE as the sheet anchor of your liberties,  write its precepts on your hearts and practice them in your lives"

Billy Graham"The BIBLE is the Constitution of Christianity"

Professor M. Monticro
"The BIBLE is alive, it speaks to me;  it has feet, it runs after me;  it has hands;  it lays hold of me" 

Lord Tennyson
"BIBLE reading is an education in itself"

Blessings!