How come male gorillas beat their chests? If you’re been to the zoo, you’ve probably seen this. A gorilla actually does it for a number of reasons: when a rival approaches and threatens his affections for a female gorilla; in order to establish his dominance within the group; when approached by people; when he’s excited; when he’s alarmed; to mark his territory when approached by another troop of gorillas; and as a location signal—often when one gorilla beats his chest, he’s answered by another gorilla. This can be a way to keep the group together.
How come crackers are filled with little holes? They’re not thick enough to bake evenly throughout, so the holes provide a way for the heat to move consistently through the entire cracker. Without the holes, the middle of a cracker would stay soft.
How come we never see anyone riding a zebra? Zebras aren’t very friendly toward humans. They’re known as mean animals, and they’re close to impossible to train. They tend to kick and bite when restrained, and they’re extremely unpredictable and dangerous.
How come it’s so important for Christians to read the Bible? The Bible, God’s holy Word, teaches us how to live as Christ wants us to live. We learn about our spiritual heritage through the Bible. We’re given the history of Jesus and the biography of His life. The Bible provides wisdom, insight and answers. We learn to know ourselves better by reading the letter from the One who created us. We’re taught how to live victoriously and how to forgive. We’re warned about the end times and motivated to share our faith with others.
The Bible is more than simply a good book; it’s our guide for living. The Bible contains the answer for any problem we’ll ever encounter. It may not mention specific words regarding a particular issue we face, but it does provide the answer for the situation. For instance, the Bible doesn’t say, “Don’t look at pornography.” But it’s filled with instructions on keeping our minds and thoughts pure. And the Bible doesn’t say, “Don’t walk in front of a moving train,” but it does talk a lot about common sense, wisdom and not behaving foolishly. Most important, it shows us how to receive eternal life!
Bottom Line
You’re kidding yourself if you think you can live the Christian life without making Bible reading a consistent part of your life. Try reading the Bible through with Brio (see page 37) or determine to read the Bible even one minute each day. You’ll be amazed at the difference it’ll make in your life!
If you’re not reading the Bible consistently, confess to God that you don’t read the Bible as much as you should. Ask Him to give you a hunger for His Word, plus the discipline to pray and read the Bible every day. Start right now with these verses: 2 Timothy 2:19, 22; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12-13.
Excerpted from One Year Devotions for Teens I by Susie Shellenberger. Tyndale Publishers, copyright [TK]. Used with permission.
Something for Every Day!
One Year Devotions for Teens
by Susie Shellenberger
Item code: BD741
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