Love for the Word

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.—Revelation 1:3 KJV

By the time he was only five years old, John Bois already had read the entire Bible. By the age of six, he was writing in Hebrew. In 1575 when he entered St. John’s College in England, he was only 14 but knew more Greek than any scholar at the college. Bois continued to develop these extraordinary gifts and eventually became a professor at the school.

Bois became a natural selection to help translate the King James Bible, a project that consumed him for four years. He was named to the group that reviewed the entire translation, keeping the notes for this critical committee.

Whenever this committee met, one person would read the translation aloud while others compared the words in French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, or Hebrew. They listened intently, interrupting for discussion when necessary. What emerged from this process was the degree to which the King James Bible was a blessing when read aloud.

Bois and these translators knew the importance of reading the Bible. We, too, need to remember the power of God’s Word—reading both silently and aloud. Study the Word and listen to others read it. The Bible promises a blessing to those who read the Word and obey what it says.

Today, commit to knowing the Word. Speak the Word. Read it from cover to cover. Read it aloud. Study it. Know that these words will give you life.

Reflection Question: Evaluate your 2024 Bible reading plan so far.