by Kathleen Miller, of St Andrew's Church, Keighley

HAVE you a bible? Most people have.

It is a good present for a baby at baptism, an heirloom to be passed down the family.

Do you read it?Not really, it is so long and hard to understand. It is long - a collection of 66 books written long ago in a foreign language, in a very different time and civilisation.

Yet once you study it - begin to understand it, the effect on you is amazing. Most of us need help and there is plenty available - use of an easy-to-read commentary like Dr William Barclay's daily reading schemes, a modern translation which uses simple, straightforward everyday speech like The Good News Bible.

At church services we are given readings, addresses, sermons - all to help our understanding - and there are bible study groups and classes. Nevertheless, it is hard to get started.

We need the incentive, drive and determination to begin and pursue bible reading, and then what riches will be ours! It is hard to learn to ski, to play a musical instrument, to learn a foreign language, to play bridge.

One has to put in a lot of time, effort, persistence, but where bible reading is concerned the benefits are unending.

At first the effect is perhaps slight and gentle, but it grows and extends till one's whole outlook is changed.

We get the dawning realisation of belonging, of having a place in the world. Though we are sinful, imperfect and unattractive, still God loves us and has a specific purpose for each one of us.

Bible study alters our view of other people, so we can accept them, be on their side, without any sense of competition.

It fills the gaping hole that exists for anyone who doesn't know God, re-assures us facing the future in His care, knowing we can retreat to Him when life gets tough.

We find in it the picture of Jesus Christ, his guidance and teaching, his commands and demands for our lives, and the goal of being held in the loving protective fellowship of God.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.