I’ve known for over a year that something must be done. The question has been, “When am I going to do it?” Week after week I have convinced myself that it could wait another few weeks or even a month, but the time has come. My Bible must be rebound or part of the New Testament is going to fall out.

I finally made the phone call to the bindery, made an appointment, and took my beloved Bible in to be repaired and rebound. “How long”, I asked, “will it take?” His reply, “About two weeks”. I sighed with relief that it wasn’t going to be a month or more.

I truly cherish this Bible. Twenty years ago this December, our house burned. We lost almost everything, including a Bible that I had carried for at least 20 years or maybe longer. The pages were stuck together and charred. There was no hope of saving it.

With so much to replace and so much loss from which to recover, I waited several months before looking for a new Bible. When I did, this one almost chose me. From the moment I saw it, I knew this was what I wanted.

Over the years, this Bible has become so familiar. When I can’t seem to find a particular passage, I can see on which side of the page it will be found. The notes in the margin lead me through studies on a variety of subjects, and the outlines of sermons I have heard fill the extra pages in the front and back.

This Bible is indeed my treasured possession. But as I chose another Bible to carry to Bible class, I realized that it is God’s holy word that is the true treasured possession. The cover, the notes, the sermon outlines are all just extras. They are just the product of the real thing.

There should be no greater possession for anyone than the Word of God. Bound in many different colors, textures, and sizes, it is the message from God, the Father, that directs our steps through the pages of this precious book.

The message that I have read from my Bible of 20 years is the same as the message I read in the one that burned in the fire. It is the same as what I can read in the one I have chosen to use on a temporary basis. It is the same as all those that sit on shelves all over the world. It may be written in a different language, but it is still the words written by forty men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

My true treasured possession is not that Bible that has been delivered to the bindery for a new cover. It is the blessed words of faith that inform us, direct us, encourage and bless us every time we read and study it.

Sandra Oliver