In the life of the Christian Sacred Scripture can sometimes prove itself to be a pesky irritant, and even at times an absolute nuisance! At the very moment that we become comfortable with ourselves as we are, and get to feeling complacent, we read some text from the Bible that just knocks us right off of our cozy little spot in the center of our own tidy little universe. That has happened to me more times than I would like to admit in my life. Having read the Bible as many times as I have throughout the many years of an already long life, you would think that I would be aware of  all that it says, but to be honest, there are many things that I have read previously and have forgotten (or perhaps shoved to the back of my mind because they made me uncomfortable).

When I read them anew, they bring back to me the fact that I still have some serious work to do and that if I live to be one hundred, there will still be much about myself that needs working on and fixing. This book sees into the very depths of my soul! And that never fails to make me uncomfortable. Every time I spend time reading the Bible, I am reminded of this very irritating aspect of it. And even though I don’t like to be reminded of it, God’s Word persistently nudges me toward this hard-to-accept realization, namely, that I am quite human and therefore quite imperfect. “All have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God” says Paul in Romans 3:23. It is no different if one has read that passage for the first time, or if he has read it one thousand times. It is always just as true and just as perturbingly prescient as it was the first time.

Some people consider the Word of God their enemy because it keeps telling them the truth and causing them to be uncomfortable with themselves as they are. It ought not be deemed so. In fact, it is the best friend that we have ever had, and we would be wise to make it a lifelong companion, traveling with us all the days of our life’s journey, whether it be short or long. This is true precisely because it is a friend that points out our weaknesses and shortcomings and points us in the right direction when we get off course. And, in spite of ourselves, we need friends like that! “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful,” said the wise man in the Old Testament (Proverbs 27:6). A friend who gives us good counsel is irreplaceable.

Have you ever thought that this may well be the reason that the Bible is not read more or by more people than it is in our time? It is a book of history, but people generally do not mind the history that is in it. They may not be lovers of history, but that would not turn them away from it necessarily. It is also a book with a certain philosophy that it wants to sell us, but again, people are not particularly unfriendly toward different philosophies of existence. That is not what gives them problems with it. There is much theology there as well, but people are not irritated by theology; they may be bored with it but it is not the thing that makes them uncomfortable with the Book of Books.

The Bible also has many wise sayings and helpful observations that aid one in growing in sagacity and discernment. They may not have a deep desire for wisdom, but that would not necessarily retard their interest in it either. People do not turn away from it on that account. It is also a book filled with interesting and sometimes exciting stories of great men and women. It tells of their trials and troubles, of their adventures, their faith and failures, and also of their grand triumphs. And people love stories. They always have and they always will. So, they are not turned off by any of these things that are found in the Bible.

What makes them uncomfortable about reading the Bible, if the truth is really told, is precisely what makes me uncomfortable about reading it. It is forever reproving me and rebuking me for my sins. It is continuously reminding me that I am a sinner in need of the Savior and persistently calling attention to my failings by holding up the perfect portrait of Jesus as the only perfect man who ever lived. Hence, it is persistent in its terrible habit of underscoring my bad habits and my renegade ways, even when I have become quite comfortable with myself just as I presently am. That is exactly the thing that irritates most people about the Bible, and that is exactly the reason that so many people have wanted to make alterations to its contents: in order to make it more palatable and less judgmental.

But this book has been my traveling companion all the years of my life thus far. I think that I shall keep it and continue to read it even though it still so often makes me unsettled and uneasy with myself. One thing is certain: its ability to inform me of my insufficiencies, inefficiencies and insecurities has always proven imminently valuable to me whenever it has brought to my attention one or more of them. And as bad as I may sometimes think that I am, I am far better than I would have ever been without it. That is certain. Even though I am still a sinner saved by the grace and mercy of a loving God, I am better by far than ever I would have been without its incessant reminders of my need for change and correction.

I have had many good friends in life, but that worn and tattered Bible is certainly the best friend I have ever had. It has chided me when I needed chiding. It has corrected me when I needed to be corrected. It has taught me when I needed some solid teaching. It has strengthened me when I needed courage. And it has never failed to encourage me on when I needed comfort and consolation in the face of my own delinquency and failure. Let me counsel you to make it your best friend too. You will never be sorry that you did. But you will certainly be sorry if you do not. It will not make you perfect, but it will assuredly make you better.