“If you look at the Bible as a whole, it’s redemptive and beautiful, and it’s God’s love story to mankind.” – Tom Shadyac

Meaning of the word Book a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.

There are 28 Bible verses that reference the word “book”.

There are so many books we could have chosen for this word study. But since this is a Bible word study, we of course landed on the most amazing book of all time. 

Did you know these facts?

By the end of 1995, combined global sales of Today's English Version (Good News) New Testament and Bible (copyright for which is held by the Bible Societies) exceeded 17.75 million copies, and the whole Bible had been translated into 349 languages; 2,123 languages have at least one book of the Bible in that language.https://www.guinnessworldrecords.

The oldest Biblical text that has been found is about 2700 years old

The King James Authorized Bible has 783,137 words.

There are 23,145 verses in the Old Testament and 7,957 verses in the New Testament. This gives a total of 31,102 verses.

When we look with our eyes at the facts about this amazing book. A book that was written so long ago it can be mind-blowing. But what happens when we began to see the words with our spiritual eyes… I know by experience It can blow our souls wide open. 

As always, I will share just a little fact about me and my journey. Before I started on this amazing journey, I had never read the Bible. I had a Bible, but I found the book confusing, old and boring. This square black book that I received over 30 years ago, has been sitting so quietly on my shelf. It has a gold inscription of my given name on the cover.  When I think of all the years it has been with me I truly do not understand how it survived. I most likely only kept it because my name was so permanently engraved on its cover. It was personalized.  

Little did I know how my life would change. As many of you know two years ago I had a Holy Spirit experience. And the Bible was not in my sights, nor did I have any desire to read it.  I just wanted to feel Him with my spirit. I was on a spiritual quest of knowing God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The three taught me many things about life and love. Somehow, someway, I found that I fell in love with the most amazing soul I have grown to know… And as I shared Him with anyone who would listen. My new-found friend continued her relentless quest of sharing the importance of His amazing book. Looking back my friend knew it was time for me to discover more about this amazing soul that lavished this unexplainable love upon my heart… 

So, it was in December of 2019. I began to open the pages and I began the most amazing journey of studying this old boring book one word at a time. As I touched each word my heart began to open and with each word He spoke love to my soul. Each word, Each verse, Each scripture came alive and brought me to a closer understanding of His amazing love. It’s is a masterpiece of wonder! It can take you to places you have never been. I can see and feel His Spirit running through each word, each chapter, each verse.

And now I know why I have carried this square black book with me for the last 30 years. Because He knew that one day His name would be permanently engraved across my heart… He personalized it with His Book and His amazing LOVE.  

As many of you know the Bible starts out with this verse  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”  Genesis 1 NIV

But I say in the beginning 

It’s Him, It’s always HIM. He is the beginning… 

Photography & Written by Lori Garner 

Bible Verses from KJV, ESV / Sinner's Prayer

Inspiring music from YouTube 

Word Of God Speak - MercyMe