For their historical value, rhetorical brilliance, gripping accounts, and most of all for their divinely inspired truth… the most eye-opening books of the Bible that EVERYONE should read.

I am back! Before continuing, I have a brief note for my readers on my silence for the past month, which consequently led me to pick this topic for today’s conversation.

“Don’t publish a book while you are young,” my writing mentor told our class about two years ago. “I know the majority of you are incredible writers and a few of you could write a better book right now than adult authors. But don’t publish books yet. I’m not trying to discourage you, but if you are a good writer you will always somewhat regret what you wrote years back. There is no reason for you to risk it while you are young — it is just unwise.”

Some of us listened and others didn’t. With this blog, I knew I would be walking the fine line.

Although I feel strongly that the Lord led me to share my stories here, He has compelled me recently to take a step back and refocus on the balance between learning and speaking. Another lesson I learned a few years ago, is to read more than you talk, learn more than you say.

In respect for speaking with relevance, truth, and brevity I have set out to reinforce that discipline and withhold sharing my thoughts before I have done equally as much research, if not much more.

In CONCLUSION, instead of sharing my own thoughts, today I am sharing some of the books of God’s Word that I refer to daily and that He uses to grow me.

While the narrative of history known to man and the first book of the Bible begins in Genesis chapter 1, John chapter 1 explains the beginning in abridged terms, focusing on the Creator more than the creation. Following the brief creation account is the story of Jesus’ life from beginning to end, as written by His closest follower, student, and friend, John.

John is one of the gospels, the four books that repeat the narrative of Jesus’ life on earth. While one of the shorter books, John is written in a concise, readable way which makes it perfect for the curious reader or new believer. It is also an amazing book to go back to, which is why I list it among books every believer should read again and again!

Here are some of the highlights:

John 1:1-5 - Jesus existed from the beginning

John 1:12 - God gives everyone who believes the right to be children of God

John 3:16-17 - Through Jesus we have life eternally

John 10:10 - Jesus came that we may have abundant life

John 14:6 - He is the way, the truth, and the life

John 15:5 - He is the vine; we are the branches

John 20:21-23 - John’s version of the great commission

Starting at the very beginning of history of the world itself, Genesis is primarily known for its account of Creation! The creation story has both confounded and amazed scientists for years. Written by Moses, it begins at what we know as the beginning of time, when God created time itself, following His command to let there be light.

Although the Big Bang theory is currently the most universally believed account of the beginning of time, even scientists admit that there are more discrepancies than consistencies in it. Creation presents stark similarities to the Big Bang Theory in that it begins with a burst of light, followed with the Creation of everything that exists in generally rapid succession. However, it answers the question of how intricately designed beings appeared in such a short amount of time — it is unexplainable except through an intelligent Designer who put everything into place.

Believe it or not, there is still so much more to Genesis! - chapters follow of true stories that reveal God’s character in relation to our humanity. A plethora of events mentioned later in the New Testament are in Genesis too!

Some of the highlights include:

Genesis 1:1 - God creates everything

Genesis 1:26-27 - God makes the first person

Genesis 2:18 - God makes the statement that it is not good for man to be alone

Genesis 3 - Sin enters the world and God sends Adam and Eve out of the Garden

Genesis 6:11–9:19 - God floods the earth

Genesis 22 - Abraham is given a son and tested

Proverbs is the first of three books of wisdom. It was believed to be written by Solomon, an Israelite king, consisting of his wise sayings.

Incoherent? A bit sporadic? Absolutely. Let's just say, it is the first book I have mentioned that isn't written in narrative style. The seemingly random verses of wisdom are perfect for anyone from a person off of the street to a wise old believer. It takes the stance that wisdom is calling out to us and we repeatedly ignore it and begins with the statement that "fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.” It is full of bite-sized lessons, perfect for memorization to keep on our minds and hearts!

My personal favorites are:

Proverbs 1:7 - Fear(deep admiration and obedience) of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with all of your heart

Proverbs 3:7-8 - Do not be impressed with your own wisdom

Proverbs 4:23 - Guard your heart

Proverbs 9:8 - Rebuke a mocker and he will hate you but rebuke a wise man and he will love you

Proverbs 10:19 - Control your tongue

Proverbs 16:9 - Man may make his plans but the Lord will decide his steps

Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron so a friend sharpens another

Proverbs 31 - Da woman chapter

If Proverbs is the wise old lady, Ecclesiastes is her grumpy husband. Another book of wisdom, Ecclesiastes was written by the wise Isrealite king, Solomon toward the end of his life. The majority of Ecclesiastes consists of his complaints regarding the human life with some wisdom on how our few says can be spent. It can be a bit depressing.

This book takes on a negative tone for no perceivable reason accept that even as the wisest king, Solomon never found contentment through his wisdom. However depressing, you may be surprised by the iconic verses Ecclesiastes yields!

It is home to some of my favorites, including:

Ephesians 2:8 - It is by grace through faith that we are saved - not a result of what WE have done but a result of what HE has done

Ephesians 2:10 - We are God’s handmade creatures

Ephesians 5:18 - Do not drink to get drunk; have a sound mind in everything you do and be filled with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:22-29 - Advice for husbands and wives

Ephesians 6 - Description of the armor of God

Romans is the single greatest book that a new believer can read — claimed by many as the best book of the entire Bible. It covers the scope of biblical doctrine with a clear outline which makes it a go to for any questions regarding Christianity.

After years of ordering believers martyred and brutally beaten, a violent member of the religious Sanhedrin (Pharisee) makes an unexpected turn to follow Jesus. After his encounter it is clear that grace exists in ways it wasn’t portrayed in the Old Testament, made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice. Paul, who changed his name from Saul, is the explosive author of most of the new testiment. Romans is his outline of Christian beleifs!

Some of the most impactful verses to me are:

Romans 3:23

Romans 6:23

Romans 5:8

Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:13

Romans 10:14-15

Job is the book for the suffering. It begins with a narrative that transitions into proverbs then plummets into a long lament before God’s glory is revealed clearly in His response. It is a great book to read if you are enduring something hard OR if you want to learn more about how God directly deals with people.

One of Satan’s three recorded appearances occurs at the beginning of this book, another reason why it is an interesting read. Job may seem to ask more questions than it gives answers but in the end it answers the question: why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

Here are some of the most notable verses:

Job 1:21 - Job praises God in suffering

Job 13:15 - Job defends his argument against God

Job 19:25 - Job states that he knows his Redeemer lives

Job 38:4 - God begins his definitive argument to Job

Isaiah is the catalyst of the Bible, easily the book that links the New and Old Testament narrative. It is between 740 and 701 B.C. and the leadership in Israel is becoming increasingly corrupt. Good things are coming for the Lord’s people but if they aren’t careful, they will miss it. That is just the message Isaiah was sent to preach — to abandon pagan worship and legalism to pay attention to what God was preparing to do.

In his book, Isaiah judges the people with the words from the Lord and delivers prophecies to them about the savior who would come years later. Many prophecies referred to in the New Testament come from this Old Testament book and through Jesus this it is fulfilled!

These verses are considered the most well known:

Isaiah 7:14

Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah 40:28-31

Isaiah 53:2-5

Ephesians, Galatians, and Philippians are three helpful books when it comes to being a believer in everyday life — for the sake of brevity, I have chosen highlight the two most potent. While Ephesians talks about day to day spiritual warfare, Philippians goes further into the life of a believer and what it is like to live as a citizen of Heaven.

As Paul is nears the trial for his life, chained to a wall as he instructs a scribe is where his faith is at it’s peak. In this letter of finality he describes the cross with a new perspective and observes that he has learned to be content in every circumstance. If that — being written blindly from a prison wall — doesn’t move you, I don’t know what will.

These are some well-known verses:

Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 3:13-15

Philippians 4:5-7

Philippians 4:13

One of my favorite books, James appeals to the leaders in the church and anyone trying to settle divisions among people. The letter is written by James the brother of Jesus. James grew up as a Jew but did not support Jesus’ ministry until after his brother was brutally crucified. On the other side of the crucifixion, he brings forth powerful observations on suffering and careful warnings against prejudice. He looks back on old testament events, using knowledge gained during his Jewish upbringing to support his argument for good works as well as faith. For the people who are quick to argue and make peace alike, this book is an impactful reminder to do everything with humility, honoring the Lord first.

Some of the most notable verses are:

James 1:2-4

James 1:5

James 1:10

James 4:3

James 4:4-5

First Peter begins a letter of encouragement on how to live a life as a believer every day. It directly addresses the position of every believer— from husband to wife to master to servant. “But you are not like that for you are a chosen people…” 1 Peter 2:9 famously states — this idea of being God’s own chosen is a theme throughout Peter’s letters and he gives practical examples on how to live with God’s grace in mind.

These verses are often quoted:

1 Peter 2:9

1 Peter 3:18

1 Peter 4:10

1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:8

Nearing the end of the Bible, first John famously refers to the Lord as “light.” Looking back on Genesis I have always found this interesting. Moses, God’s chosen leader for the Israelites, writes in Genesis “then God said ‘Let there be light’…” to which a light comes instantly. In the first chapter of John, Jesus’ closest friend builds on this saying that Jesus is the Word of God and in first John he says that Jesus is the light. So as God spoke the Word at the beginning of time, there was light. With and following that light, all creation was made.

The entire book of first John is wonderful but that incredible parallel is unashamedly the single reason why I believe it is an essential book to read (along with Genesis 1 and John 1, of course).

Here are some parts I find compelling:

1 John 1:5-6

1 John 1:7-8

1 John 3:16

1 John 5:14

Finally, Revelation. Call me crazy for including it as an essential but to know the depth one part of the Bible, one must read it all. It isn’t one of those books you can open and put your finger on a sentence, instantly understanding what you read — rather it is enriched by reading the whole narrative and absorbing the meaning.

To get into what the various images in Revelation mean would be a weighty and overwhelming topic for this post, but I will say this: First, the rest of the Bible has a lot to say about Revelation — look to it before seeking commentary. Second, do not necessarily take Revelation as a way to live your life. While it is exemplary of the end times, no one truly knows when they are coming, no matter how imminent the events described may seem. Live like you have one day left, sure, but don’t use the Bible as an excuse to become so bogged down in eccentric theories that you miss what God is doing in your life!

Alas, even Revelation has some quotable verses:

Revelation 3:20

Revelation 4:11

Revelation 21:5

The Bible is a collection of several historical documents written and compiled in archaic times. Each book was written by someone who directly interacted with God Himself and therefore is ‘inspired by God’. While commonly referred to as The Word, not once in the Bible are the historical accounts and words themselves described with that name. While the Bible is entirely made of God’s own words, and while it is ‘alive and active,’ and even ‘eternal,’ the one and only Word refers to Jesus Christ.

Movements have arisen in the past century (especially in recent years) worshiping charismatic spirituality in albeit cultish ways. Although this is an alarming uprising, there is just as much danger in worshipping something God made instead of God Himself. Everything that the Bible says is true but stern reminders that “it is a sin to know what God wants you to do and not do it,” and “faith without works is dead,” guard against the temptation to USE the Bible to back our own legalism and rebuttals against God’s will in our lives. If the Bible is to be accepted, it must be accepted in it’s entirety which means it should not be used as either an excuse or delay to obedience.

That being said, I believe everything the Bible says unequivocally (as a confirmed historical document as well as a divinely inspired narrative). All chapters mentioned above are simply some of the most easy to understand and/or essential books to everyone as a person from my experience!

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭