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I read the NASB (New American Standard Bible). Why? Because a very important youth pastor gave me a copy of it when I first came to understand the reality of Jesus and what he did for me. It was actually this pastor's own Bible. He’d probably be happy to know that it has gone to good use. I ought to look him up!
The pages are written on and falling out so much so that I decided it was time to get a new Bible to take with me to church. I feared every week some loose pages would go flying down to the floor, slide under the pews out of my reach, never to be seen again. So recently I purchased a new Key Word Study Bible. What version? The NASB of course!
But that is not the only Bible I own, nor read. Actually, these past few years of Bible teaching have led me to realize the importance of studying the Bible from several translations, as its meaning is expanded significantly. There are many free websites that allow you to look at several versions of scripture at once. http://www.studylight.org and http://www.blueletterbible.org are two that I use.
Yesterday I ran across the verse 2 Corinthians 7:1 written in the New International Version. Since the NIV is not the version I read on a daily basis, the wording brought the message into a whole new light for me. Here it is:
“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
“Contaminates” got my attention. Did it you? What contaminates me? Contaminate by definition means to make impure, dirty, or unfit for use. Contamination is pollution.
Our neighbors on both sides have a pool. They do a great job of keeping their pools free from pollution and contaminates. They are able to enjoy them because they stay clean, fresh and fit for use.
My life is like those pools. I have to keep it free from unwanted things and ready for use. This verse reminded me to take a moment to examine the pool of my life. What’s in there, and what do I need to clean out so my life is fresher, more useful and more enjoyable?
Just like caring for a pool, caring for my body and spirit takes time and effort. But the refreshment that comes from enjoying a contaminate-free life is worth the effort!
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I have asked a couple of very dear friends to help refine me, and this so reminds me of keeping me unpolluted. And this is so true. Of course just as we ask God to refine us to this degree, to carefully guard our talk, our words, our dress, our walk, our moment by moments, our every move, these then become just the areas that Satan seems to find a crack to sneak in and attack...hence our guard must be equally set in place and a huge hedge of protection placed around us. Thank you Karyn..
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