When a book, any physical book, is well used, it tends to fall open
to its most used section. I have a cookbook at home that falls
open to the page for blintzes. For the life of me I cannot
remember the recipe and have to reference it every time. The
same is true for other books, especially scripture.

Within the many stories, lessons, and laws found within our
scriptures, we have our favorites; the scriptures that we turn to
time and time again. Scriptures that we find authoritative,
inspiring, or simply good for the soul. These scriptures, while good,
can also form a barrier to the other scriptures in the Bible. Why
turn to Jeremiah when Isaiah is so well loved? And that is the rub,
“Why turn to Jeremiah when you know Isaiah?” Because Jeremiah
is not Isaiah. They are both prophets and speak a great deal to the
nature of the relationship between God and humanity, but that is
about all they have in common. This is true of all the books and
even whole sections of scripture. Why read the Old Testament
when the New Testament is the part with Jesus in it. Well, the Old
Testament is the part that Jesus read and taught; the scriptures
that he came to fulfill rather than destroy.

A well-worn Bible is a wonderful thing and having favorites is no
bad thing. But may we remember that there are many more
pages beyond and behind the places that our Bibles fall open.