From the moment we take our first breath our lifelong journey begins. And from history to science, from psychology to literature, and from joy to true meaning, the Bible is the book that we need to make our indispensable traveling companion along this journey. I believe that the following two quotes from Billy Graham will help us unpack some of the secrets to making our lives full of joy, peace and rich meaning. Graham once commented: “Because God is the giver and source of our life, He has a legitimate claim upon our lives.”1 “We are not here by chance or by accident; God put us on this journey called life. We came from Him, and our greatest joy will come from giving ourselves back to Him and learning to walk with Him every day until we return to Him.”2
It is critical that we understand that God is the giver and source of life and that we are not here by chance or accident. For those who deny the existence of God and believe we are a product of Darwinian evolution, life is a hopeless journey where real joy and meaning can never be found since when does a chance collection of molecules and cells have any real intrinsic value. For you see under this scenario you are on a fast-approaching date with death where you decompose back to inorganic matter; never to be heard from again. Sadly, many people deny the existence of God and attribute life to random chance occurrences.
But as Christians we believe that we are created in the image of God, are here by God’s sovereign purpose and design, and that God, if we let Him, will show us the journey He wants to take us on. While many non-believers view the Christian lifestyle as a waste of time, wishful thinking, or at best foolish, nothing could be further from the truth.
When we make the Bible our traveling companion on this journey called life, we should get excited for the following reasons. First, the Bible is the finest manual on how to navigate life since it knows more about how to provide you with joy and meaning along the way than any other book ever written, since it was written by men moved by the Creator of all mankind. Second, the Bible is the only book that has the answers to life’s three big question: Where did you come from, what is the purpose of life, and what happens when you die. Knowing the answer to these three questions is critical to providing us with a meaningful journey in life. Third, the Bible is the only book that can transform a sinner, like you and me, into a saint, by the forgiveness of our sins and the salvation that only Jesus Christ can provide. Fourth, the Bible is the only book of absolute truth, which is essential to living a prosperous life in a world of relative truths and make believe. And fifth, the Bible has so much to say about the shortness of life and the necessity of preparing for eternity. For you see our journey through this life will one day be over and we need to prepare for another journey – one that will last forever.
For the Christian life is an exciting adventure because we travel with the Holy Spirit as our compass, guide, and great comforter every step of the way. And the most exciting thing about this journey is that it will never end!