A special message from Rachel Barach, General Manager of Bible Gateway.

No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths. — Psalm 25:3-4 (NIV)

The Bible is not a book I would describe as “easy.” It is not a quickly-decoded recipe book with bite-sized nuggets of do’s and don’ts. It’s a challenging, mysterious, powerful collection of parables, prophecies, historical events, and the occasional family tree. It is the subject of intense study and scrutiny, interpretation and misinterpretation, controversy and contention. The Bible is nothing if not dynamic, interesting, and alive.

And we have never needed it more.

Because the Bible is no more and no less than the great Good News, the tale of the Hope of our ultimate salvation. God reveals His very Self through this living Word.

In light of unprecedented gun violence, war and unrest around the world, the most contentious of political environments, and natural disasters that destroy entire communities; in the shadow of mental illness, hopelessness and depression that leads to suicide, abuse of self and others, drug and alcohol addiction, the destruction of families through infidelity and divorce; with the repercussions of consumerism, entitlement, and fiscal irresponsibility wreaking havoc in many households and throughout our local, regional and national governments; as poverty runs rampant,and injustice and inequality oppress billions of people; well, where is our hope?

Many better writers than I have tackled the difficult question of God’s presence amidst pain and suffering. I couldn’t do justice to the topic if I tried. Some of the very best writers on this subject are the authors of our precious Scriptures. And thank God for them—He knew we needed those words, then and now.

The Bible gives voice to our moments of despair, our songs of joy, our prayers for strength, our celebrations of love and hope. It is epic, and it is ours, dear friends. Relish the thought—the amazing Word of God is for us, the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Bible Gateway is proud to be a hub for Bible reading and study. All of us who work on this website day in and day out feel unbelievably blessed to do what we do, to be purveyors of something that really matters, that lights and guides our way through this dark world.

Will you join us this year in spending more time reading Scripture and trusting it to light our way? Will you commit with us to asking the Holy Spirit to inhabit our time in the Word, opening our eyes to it’s meaning, and helping us unpack and apply it to our daily lives? Will you pray with us that more people turn to the Bible for help and hope?

Because it is no more and no less than the great Good News. And we have never needed it more.

Bless you, and thank you for being a part of the Bible Gateway community.