When our daughter turned 18 and moved away to attend school, my husband gave her a Bible. It wasn’t a new Bible. It was the Bible that had been given to him when he became a Christian at the age of 20. This leather-bound volume was nearly 25 years old.
Pages highlighted.
Gold edges tattered.
Notes and thoughts scribbled in the margins.
Many who may glance at it will see an old book. My daughter instead sees a treasure.
Kenna carries this Bible with her to church on Sundays. She curls up and reads it during the week in her times alone with God, seeking Him on the pages of His word. And she now highlights and marks and makes notes herself.
Sometimes, she will snap a picture of a page and send it to me; something her dad wrote in the margin that also spoke to her. She loves seeing his insights jotted down in his very own handwriting.
If you don't have a Bible to give your son or daughter that you have personally used and loved over the years, you can still give them a meaningful gift. Simply purchase a new Bible a year before their milestone event---perhaps their 16th birthday or high school graduation. Then, take a year to read through it with a Bible reading plan making notations in the margin written specifically to your child.
Make comments about the verse's special significance. Mention how you've seen a truth of scripture lived out in their life. Warn them of pitfalls. Encourage them with favorite verses underlined.
Then, on their big day, wrap it up and give it to them as a gift. It will become a treasured heirloom they too can pass on one day.
The gift of God's word. There is nothing better!
Blessings,
Karen Ehman, www.karenehman.com
Looking for a new Bible study? Check out What Matters Most: a study of Philippians.
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