“All Scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them is great reward.” – Psalm 19:7-11

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

The Bible is a book like no other. It is the inspired written Word of God given to us as a compass which points us to the Living Word…our true North…Jesus Christ. It is the measure of Truth for all times and for all people. It gives insights into who our Creator is and who we are in relationship to Him. It is a harmonious collection of writings that have been brought together by God and preserved by the Holy Spirit to give us a deep view of our heavenly Father who loves us. It also shows us from cover to cover that the God who created us and loves us wants a relationship with us! That has always been His plan and when that plan was derailed by our own sinful pride He was determined to restore that relationship no matter what the cost.

The season of Lent is a time for remembering these very things. It is a time dedicated to meditating on the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. Many will “fast” from certain foods or add personal disciplines to their daily routines that remind them to pause and thank God for making a way for us. It is a time to prepare our hearts for the celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday morning!

I would like to invite you on a journey this Lenten season. Over the next 40 days and 6 Sabbaths we will walk through the Bible from cover to cover. From the “beginning” in Genesis 1:1 to the final “Amen” in Revelation 22:21 we will travel with Abraham, fight with King David and fish with the disciples. This will not be an exhaustive study where we parse out every verse and read every chapter. You do not need to read the whole Bible in 40 days (unless you want to). Our goal will be to see the Bible as a whole…as one story about the One True God. Seeing the unified message in the Old Testament and the New Testament. I hope that we will discover how this divine revelation works together to give us a beautiful picture of our wonderful loving God and His relentless pursuit of His creation.

So, as we set sail on this grand voyage we will dip our cups into this living water each day and drink of some of the major themes and, hopefully, gain a greater appreciation for this treasure we know as God’s written Word.