God's Fertilizer

Nothing nourishes our spiritual growth like God's Word found in the Scriptures. In the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree (Luke 13:6-9) Jesus compares people to fig trees. A fig tree exists to produce figs. We exist to produce love, joy, and hope. If we do not produce fruit for Christ then we are not living as God expects us to live. In the parable a gardener defends the barren fig tree saying that he will tend to it and give it manure... maybe then it will produce fruit. Jesus, our gardener, is tending to us. He digs around us by giving us Christian community and he feeds us nourishing "manure" through his sacraments and God's Word.

When we fail to read the Bible we are starving ourselves of God's spiritual fertilizer. Living a rewarding life of faith becomes nearly impossible without God's Word. Sure we may produce some fruit, but it won't be as much or as delicious as it could have been.

So we all are called to read the Bible. But what Bible should we read? There are so many translations of the Bible to choose from. It can be quite confusing because every year there are new translations produced, updates to previous translations, and older translations re-packaged in new clothes.

To cut through the clutter I have added a list of five excellent English translations in the left column of my blog. Any of them would be helpful in personal devotions. In fact there are times you may want to even use two or three of them. Today's New International Version (TNIV) is my favorite. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew and Greek (the original languages of the Old and New Testaments) that is also readable. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is also an excellent translation, but at times it is more difficult to read. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a good, readable translation. It very well might be the best English bible for casual Bible readers. The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is great for reading and easy to understand. The last version is recommend is The Message Remix 2.0. This translation brings the ancient Biblical texts to the 21st century using images and language understandable for today. (Example: the fig tree in the parable I mentioned becomes an apple tree in The Message.) It's fun to read and will open your eyes to truths within Bible stories that can easily be missed in a literal translation.

Regardless of what translation you use, I urge you to use one. If digging out your yellowed, moldy, disintegrating, 30-year-old confirmation Bible does not get you excited about Bible reading then PLEASE BUY A NEW BIBLE! I know I wouldn't read a King James Bible from 1956 found in some church's basement closet. You shouldn't either. The Word of God should be treated with the same respect and read in the same condition as you would read an Oprah Book Club Bestseller.

Buy a Bible you can and will read.
Own a Bible that you can understand and read that Bible everyday!
Don't starve yourself of God's spiritual fertilizer.