Mark It Up

Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you. —Colossians 3:16

When I was a child, my parents encouraged us to underline verses in our Bibles that we found especially meaningful. (At one point, I got carried away, leading my father to suggest that perhaps I should underline only those verses that weren’t particularly meaningful to me!)

Over the years, I have read and “marked up” many different copies of the Bible. Each tells a story of my personal journey of faith during a specific period. In addition to underlining verses, I frequently circle or bracket repeated words or phrases. I also write cross references in the margin, as well as jot down notes about the meaning of words in the passage.

When the Lord uses a verse to address a specific need in my life or to convict my heart in an unusual way, I often indicate the date on which that personal encounter with God took place. In the margins I sometimes write brief personal responses to the truth, such as, “Yes, Lord,” “I agree,” “Change my heart, O God,” or “Make this true in my life, Lord.”