My 5 Favorite Books of the Bible

The Bible is the most influential book that any Christian will ever read.  It is the living Word of God breathed out by God. (2 Timothy 3:16)  It is the foundation for all wisdom and true knowledge (Proverbs 2:1-6) I must admit that trying to pick my 5 most favorite books of the Bible was quite challenging.  This is mainly due to the fact that the Bible has a way of speaking the same verses differently to us all at different parts of our journey with our Father.  As you read, compare/contrast your favorite books too.  I would love to know what some of your favorite books of the Bible are.

Job

The book of Job tells the story of the man named Job and the suffering that he endured.  This book is a perfect read for anyone who is suffering and going through hard times.  Job is the perfect role model for how to handle persecution.  Who was Job?  He was “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1)  He was a loving father, who made sacrifices to God for his children in case they had sinned. (Job 1:5)  God allowed Job to go through much heartache to prove his faithfulness and to show Satan that anyone who is solid in their life with God will not be shaken.  When Satan took Job’s property and killed his children, “Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and WORSHIPPED.” (Job 1:20)  Even after all of his children were taken from him, Job worshipped.  I will always go to Job when I am in turmoil.  He was an amazing, God fearing man that we can all learn from.

1 Kings

In particular I love this book because it showcases Solomon and Elijah.  Solomon was the wisest human (aside from Jesus) ever.  He was faithful and prayed to God for wisdom. (1 Kings 3:10-12)  Solomon was also very wealthy and was serious about doing God’s work, which included building the temple. (1 Kings, chapters 5 & 6)  There is a great showcasing of man’s divided heart here.  Solomon spent 7 years building the temple, which was only the building and not the internal furnishings.  He spent 13 years on his own house.  He put more time into his house than God’s house.  He also finished his own house before completing the temple.  We all act like Solomon when we put anything as a bigger priority than God.  This story always humbles me and makes me reevaluate my life with God.

Elijah is the other man I wish to mention.  He is one of my favorite Bible characters.  He raised a widow’s son. (1 Kings 17:17-24)  With God, he defeated the Prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:20-40) This is one of my all-time favorite stories.  It really showcases the power of God.  He found strength in God from one meal to last 40 days and 40 nights. (1 Kings 19:8)  He is also one of only two men that were taken to heaven while still alive. (1 Kings 2:11)

Psalms

Great poetry and song comes from this book.  Many of the Psalms were written by King David, and you get a glimpse into how he was feeling in different periods of his life.  Psalm 18 was written to show how God rescued David from all of his enemies, including Saul.  Psalm 22 is a cry of David because God was silent during this time of David’s life.  Psalm 23 is very famous and is used in many funerals because we do not need to fear death when we have God as our Father and Christ as our Savior.  Psalm 35 is another plea for help from David because God had been silent.  Psalm 51 is David’s cry to God to blot out his transgression of having relations with Bathsheba and for having her husband, Uriah, murdered on the front lines of battle to try and hide his sin.  Psalm 56 is a motivational Psalm about trusting always in God.  “In God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56:11)  There are many more that are worth searching out.  I encourage you to search them out and pray them out to God too.

The 4 Gospels

The 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell the story of Jesus Christ as he lived on earth.  I couldn’t pick one of them, for they all work together to tell the same story.  Matthew gives a detailed genealogy from Abraham all the way to Jesus’ birth, (Matt 1:1-17) while Luke does the same thing all the way back to Adam. (Luke 3:23-38) All 4 Gospels tell of John the Baptist.  The book of John, in particular has many stories written that are not found in the other Gospels, including:  Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine, the Samaritan woman and the encounter with Nicodemus.  The main point that they all focus on is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  Our Savior willingly left Heaven to become a human and suffer through all of the trials and temptations that we go through.  He was willing to become sin for us, even though He knew no sin.  He became the perfect sacrifice that broke the barrier between us and God.  Praise Him!  Jesus Christ is Lord over all!

Revelation

Revelation was written by John, through a revelation by Jesus Christ to him.  This book is very encouraging and exciting to read, for it tells of the end of Satan!  This book gets me motivated because I cannot wait until that day when that wretched Devil is cast into the lake of fire forever!  Although much of this book has symbolism, anyone can grasp some very important facts from it.

1. Satan will be defeated. (Rev 20:7-10)
2. There will be a new Heaven and earth. (Rev 21:1)
3. There will be a new Jerusalem. (Rev 21:9-27)
4. God will dwell with us. (Rev 21:3)
5. There will be no more pain. (Rev 21:4)
6. Jesus is coming soon! (Rev22:7)
7. Jesus will repay the faithful and the evil doers for all of their acts. (Rev 22:12)

Conclusion

These are my 5 favorite books of the Bible (right now).  I fall in love with new ones as I read them again.  I love the attitude of Job.  I love the dedication of Solomon.  I love the faithfulness of Elijah.  I love the transparency of David.  I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I love the fact that Satan’s end is coming and our eternity with God, in Heaven, is but a breath away.  Which books do you love?  Do you know Jesus personally as your Lord and Savior?  I encourage you to seek Him today if you haven’t accepted Him as Lord of your life yet.

God Bless You All,  Derek

Photo Credit: Flickr Photo by frotzed2