For those of us who have and use our Bibles on a daily basis, we like our own volume, because like a well worn piece of clothing, it's finally "broken in" and has that comfortable "feel" that soothes us. But in terms of the book itself, it also means we can easily find things because the pages are familiar to us, and we can actually see the page a particular Scripture is on in our mind, and where it is orientated on the page. It is very hard to use someone else's Bible for this reason, because I find the Scriptures I have in mind are hard for me to find in theirs. Now, the prospect of having to start over with a new one is not something I like to think about, because it involves - change. And then there is the daunting task of having to transfer all 5 1/2 years of my scribbling, annotations, notes and color coded underlining onto the new book, not to mention my trepidation at throwing away God's word, even if it is slightly dilapidated. Sigh.
Sure it's dog eared and falls apart every time I pick it up, and it can be frustrating to read from as its loose pages slip around, but does that mean I should give it the ol' heave-ho? For now I will just deal with it; I just can't let go of it for now, only because too many wonderful memories are attached to it, and I can't really afford to buy a new one anyway. On the bright side, rather than lug the whole book around - I can take a few smaller sections to read from, and I comfort myself with the thought that my Christian brethren around the world, especially in China, do the same thing, not because their Bibles are old, but because they usually only have one Bible to share among themselves in their church. We here in America are so fortunate, we usually have more than one copy of God's word in our homes, many of which are just sitting on shelves in perfect condition collecting dust, while waiting for their owners to crack them open and mine it for the wondrous treasures contained within in its pristine pages.
Does that mean I think myself better than those who have Bibles in better condition? No, not at all. I believe that it is far better to hide the Bible's treasure in your heart rather then carry around a book, be it one that may appear well worn or one just purchased. Because what is hidden in the heart is what reveals what is in the hand.