With all the media we have today it is easier to download books and other things to our computers, phones, and tablets. I have downloaded all kinds of books and have enjoyed reading them. And yet there is one book that takes the place of every one of these - our Bibles.

The Bible is a book of love (Ruth and Naomi, Jacob and Rachel), a book of ghost stories (witch at Endor and Holy Spirit coming on Pentecost), a book of history (God's people), mystery (the coming Messiah), finances (widow who gave more than all of them) and we could say much more. Whatever kind of reading you like best, it is contained in the pages of Scripture.

But this book also is a book that tells us of a God who loves us and provided us a way to heaven. It is a book to be read and lived. It is a book that has the guiding principles of life that will make us successful people in our world.

The Bible is a book to be followed. It records the words of our Creator and Master, Jesus Christ. It gives us a certain teaching that needs to be lived each day of our life and not just occasionally or when we are at a church service. The Bible is the authoritative Word of God.

If we never read the word, what good is it to us? We will never know any of the things that have been mentioned above. And we could also be led astray from our God by men who are not teaching what the Bible says.

I am reminded of a group of people who took their Bible study seriously. In Acts, let's notice the Bereans. "The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." Acts 17:10-11 (NASB).

All throughout the Scriptures we are told to examine ourselves, and to prove the things we hear. The Bereans were doing this and so should we. (2 Corinthians 13:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). We can do this as we read and study the Bible. Are you doing this?